Carrier device, exposure apparatus, exposure method, manufacturing method of flat-panel display, device manufacturing method, and carrying method

ABSTRACT

A carrier device that carries a substrate to a noncontact holder that is configured to support the substrate in a noncontact manner is equipped with: holding pads that hold a part of the substrate at a first position located above the noncontact holder; a drive section that moves downward the holding pads holding the substrate so that the substrate is supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder; and adsorption pads that hold the substrate supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder, after the substrate held by the holding pads is moved by the drive section, wherein the drive section moves the holding pads from the first position to a second position where the substrate can be delivered to the adsorption pads.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to carrier devices, exposure apparatuses,exposure methods, manufacturing methods of flat-panel displays, devicemanufacturing methods, and carrying methods, and more particularly to acarrier device and a carrying method for carrying objects, an exposureapparatus equipped with the carrier device, an exposure method makinguse of the carrying method, and a manufacturing method of flat-paneldisplays or a device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, in a lithography process for manufacturing electronicdevices (micro devices) such as liquid crystal display devices andsemiconductor devices (integrated circuits and the like), used areexposure apparatuses such as an exposure apparatus of a step-and-scanmethod (a so-called scanning stepper (which is also called a scanner))that, while synchronously moving a mask or a reticle (hereinafter,generically referred to as a “mask”) and a glass plate or a wafer(hereinafter, generically referred to as a “substrate”) along apredetermined scanning direction, transfers a pattern formed on the maskonto the substrate using an energy beam.

As this type of exposure apparatuses, an exposure apparatus is knownthat carries out a glass substrate that has been exposed on a substratestage device using a substrate exchange device, and then carries inanother glass substrate onto the substrate stage device using thesubstrate exchange device, and thereby sequentially exchanges the glasssubstrate to be held by the substrate stage device and performs theexposure processing with respect to a plurality of glass substrates inorder (e.g., refer to PTL 1).

Here, in the case of exposing a plurality of glass substrates, it ispreferable to swiftly exchange a glass substrate on the substrate stagedevice also for improvement of the entire throughput.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

[PTL 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0266961

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda carrier device that carries an object to a support section forsupporting the object in a noncontact manner, the device comprising: afirst holding section that holds a part of the object at a firstposition located above the support section; a drive section that movesdownward the first holding section holding the object so that the objectis supported in a noncontact manner by the support section; and a secondholding section that holds the object supported in a noncontact mannerby the support section, after the object held by the first holdingsection is moved by the drive section, wherein the drive section movesthe first holding section from the first position to a second positionwhere the first holding section can deliver the object to the secondholding section.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure apparatus, comprising: the carrier device related to thefirst aspect; and a pattern forming device that forms a predeterminedpattern on the object using an energy beam.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda manufacturing method of a flat-panel display, comprising: exposing anobject using the exposure apparatus related to the second aspect; anddeveloping the object that has been exposed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda device manufacturing method, comprising: exposing an object using theexposure apparatus related to the second aspect; and developing theobject that has been exposed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda carrying method of carrying an object to a support section forsupporting the object in a noncontact manner, the method comprising:moving the first holding section that holds a part of the object at afirst position located above the support section so that the object issupported in a noncontact manner by the support section; and holding theobject, that is supported in a noncontact manner by the support sectionby the moving, with a second holding section, wherein in the moving, theobject is moved from the first position to a second position where theobject can be delivered to the second holding section.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure method, comprising: carrying the object to the supportsection with the carrying method related to the fifth aspect; andexposing the object that has been carried to the support section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a configuration of a liquidcrystal exposure apparatus related a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the details of a substrate stage deviceequipped in the liquid crystal exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a required part enlarged view of the substrate stage device.

FIG. 5 is a concept view of a substrate position measurement systemequipped in the liquid crystal exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the input/output relationship of amain controller that centrally configures a control system of the liquidcrystal exposure apparatus.

FIGS. 7a and 7b are views (a plan view and a front view, respectively)used to explain an operation (No. 1) of the substrate stage device atthe time of exposure operations.

FIGS. 8a and 8b are views (a plan view and a front view, respectively)used to explain an operation (No. 2) of the substrate stage device atthe time of exposure operations.

FIGS. 9a and 9b are views (a plan view and a front view, respectively)used to explain an operation (No. 3) of the substrate stage device atthe time of exposure operations.

FIGS. 10a and 10b are views (a plan view and a front view, respectively)showing a substrate carrier related to a first modified example of thefirst embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a substrate stage device related to a secondmodified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 12a is a plan view of a substrate carrier related to the secondmodified example, and FIG. 12b is a plan view of a substrate tablerelated to the second modified example.

FIGS. 13a and 13b are views (a plan view and a cross-sectional view,respectively) showing a substrate stage device related to a thirdmodified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a substrate stage device related to a secondembodiment.

FIGS. 15a and 15b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a Y guide bar, a weight-cancelling device and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 14 has.

FIGS. 16a and 16b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a base frame, a coarse movement stage and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 14 has.

FIGS. 17a and 17b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a noncontact holder, auxiliary tables and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 14 has.

FIGS. 18a and 18b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a substrate carrier and the like that the substrate stage deviceshown in FIG. 14 has.

FIGS. 19a and 19b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)used to explain operations at the time of scan exposure of the substratestage device related to the second embodiment.

FIGS. 20a and 20b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a Y-stepoperation of the substrate stage device related to the secondembodiment.

FIG. 21 is a view showing a substrate stage device related to a modifiedexample (a fourth modified example) of the second embodiment.

FIGS. 22a and 22b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing Y guide bars, a weight-cancelling device and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 21 has.

FIGS. 23a and 23b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a base frame, a coarse movement stage and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 21 has.

FIGS. 24a and 24b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a noncontact holder, auxiliary tables and the like that thesubstrate stage device shown in FIG. 21 has.

FIGS. 25a and 25b are views (a plan view and a side view, respectively)showing a substrate carrier and the like that the substrate stage deviceshown in FIG. 21 has.

FIG. 26a is a view used to explain the substrate stage device related tothe fourth modified example at the substrate carrying-out time, and FIG.26b is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B shown in FIG. 26a.

FIG. 27 is a view schematically showing a configuration of a liquidcrystal exposure apparatus related a third embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a plan view of a substrate stage device and a substrateexchange device that the liquid crystal exposure apparatus shown in FIG.27 has.

FIG. 29a is a plan view of the substrate stage device, and FIG. 29b is across-sectional view taken along the line 29 b-29 b shown in FIG. 29 a.

FIG. 30a is a plan view of the substrate exchange device, and FIG. 30bis a cross-sectional view taken along the line 30 b-30 b shown in FIG.30 a.

FIGS. 31a and 31b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 1).

FIGS. 32a and 32b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 2).

FIGS. 33a and 33b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 3).

FIGS. 34a and 34b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 4).

FIGS. 35a and 35b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 5).

FIGS. 36a and 36b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 6).

FIGS. 37a and 37b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 7).

FIGS. 38a and 38b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 8).

FIGS. 39a and 39b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 9).

FIGS. 40a and 40b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 10).

FIGS. 41a and 41b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 11).

FIGS. 42a and 42b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 12).

FIGS. 43a and 43b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 13).

FIGS. 44a and 44b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 14).

FIGS. 45a and 45b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 15).

FIGS. 46a and 46b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 16).

FIGS. 47a and 47b are a plan view and a side view of the liquid crystalexposure apparatus, respectively, used to explain a substrate exchangeoperation (No. 17).

FIGS. 48a and 48b are views (No. 1) used to explain a fourth embodiment.

FIGS. 49a and 49b are views (No. 2) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 50a and 50b are views (No. 3) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 51a and 51b are views (No. 4) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 52a and 52b are views (No. 5) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 53a and 53b are views (No. 6) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 54a and 54b are views (No. 7) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 55a and 55b are views (No. 8) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 56a and 56b are views (No. 9) used to explain the fourthembodiment.

FIGS. 57a and 57b are views used to explain a modified example of thefourth embodiment.

FIG. 58 is a view (No. 1) used to explain a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 59 is a view (No. 2) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 60 is a view (No. 3) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 61 is a view (No. 4) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 62 is a view (No. 5) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 63 is a view (No. 6) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 64 is a view (No. 7) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 65 is a view (No. 8) used to explain the fifth embodiment.

FIGS. 66a and 66b are views (No. 1) used to explain a sixth embodiment.

FIGS. 67a and 67b are views (No. 2) used to explain the sixthembodiment.

FIGS. 68a and 68b are views (No. 3) used to explain the sixthembodiment.

FIGS. 69a and 69b are views (No. 4) used to explain the sixthembodiment.

FIGS. 70a and 70b are views (No. 5) used to explain the sixthembodiment.

FIG. 71 is a view (No. 1) used to explain a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 72 is a view (No. 2) used to explain the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 73 is a view (No. 3) used to explain the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 74 is a view (No. 4) used to explain the seventh embodiment.

FIGS. 75a to 75c are views (No. 5 to No. 7) used to explain the seventhembodiment.

FIG. 76 is a view (No. 1) used to explain an eighth embodiment.

FIGS. 75a to 75c are views (No. 2 to No. 4) used to explain the eighthembodiment.

FIG. 78 is a view (No. 1) used to explain a ninth embodiment.

FIGS. 79a to 79c are views (No. 2 to No. 5) used to explain the eighthembodiment.

FIG. 80 is a view (No. 6) used to explain the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 81 is a view (No. 7) used to explain the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 82 is a view (No. 8) used to explain the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 83 is a view (No. 9) used to explain the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 84 is a view used to explain a modified example of the ninthembodiment.

FIGS. 85a and 85b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a firstmodified example.

FIGS. 86a and 86b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a secondmodified example.

FIGS. 87a and 87b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a carry-inoperation of a substrate in the fourth embodiment, and FIGS. 87c and 87dare views (No. 1 and No. 2) showing an example of shift preventingstructure of holding pads in the second modified example.

FIGS. 88a and 88b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a thirdmodified example.

FIGS. 89a to 89c are views (No. 1 to No. 3) used to explain a fourthmodified example.

FIGS. 90a and 90b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a fifthmodified example.

FIG. 91 is a view (No. 1) used to explain a sixth modified example.

FIGS. 92a and 92b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain a seventhmodified example.

FIGS. 93a and 93b are views (No. 1 and No. 2) used to explain an eighthmodified example.

FIGS. 94a to 94c are views (No. 1 to No. 3) used to explain a ninthmodified example.

FIG. 95 is a view used to explain a tenth modified example.

FIG. 96 is a view used to explain an eleventh modified example.

FIG. 97 is a view used to explain a twelfth modified example.

FIG. 98 is a view used to explain a thirteenth modified example.

FIG. 99 is a view used to explain a fourteenth modified example.

FIG. 100 is a view used to explain a fifteenth modified example.

FIG. 101 is a view used to explain a sixteenth modified example.

FIGS. 102a and 102b are views (No. 2 and No. 3) used to explain thesixth modified example.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

A first embodiment will be described below, using FIGS. 1 to 9 b.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of a liquid crystalexposure apparatus 10 related to the first embodiment. Liquid crystalexposure apparatus 10 is a projection exposure apparatus of astep-and-scan method, which is a so-called scanner, with a rectangular(square) glass substrate P (hereinafter, simply referred to as asubstrate P) used in, for example, a liquid crystal display device (aflat-panel display) or the like, serving as an exposure target object.

Liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 has: an illumination system 12; amask stage 14 to hold a mask M on which patterns such as a circuitpattern are formed; a projection optical system 16; an apparatus mainbody 18; a substrate stage device 20 to hold substrate P whose surface(a surface facing the +Z side in FIG. 1) is coated with resist(sensitive agent); a control system thereof; and the like. Hereinafter,the explanation is given assuming that a direction in which mask M andsubstrate P are each scanned relative to projection optical system 16 atthe time of exposure is an X-axis direction, a direction orthogonal tothe X-axis within a horizontal plane is a Y-axis direction, and adirection orthogonal to the X-axis and the Y-axis is a Z-axis direction.Further, the explanation is given assuming that rotation directionsaround the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis are a θx direction, a θydirection and a θz direction, respectively.

Illumination system 12 is configured similarly to an illumination systemdisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,331 and the like. Thatis, illumination system 12 irradiates mask M with light emitted from alight source (not illustrated) (e.g. a mercury lamp), as illuminationlight for exposure (illumination light) IL, via a reflection mirror, adichroic mirror, a shutter, a wavelength selecting filter, various typesof lenses and the like (none of which are illustrated). As illuminationlight IL, light such as, for example, an i-line (with wavelength of 365nm), a g-line (with wavelength of 436 nm), and an h-line (withwavelength of 405 nm) (or synthetic light of the i-line, the g-line andthe h-line described above) is used.

Mask stage 14 holds mask M of a light-transmitting type. Main controller50 (see FIG. 6) drives mask stage 14 (i.e. mask M) with a predeterminedlong stroke relative to illumination system 12 (illumination light IL)in the X-axis direction (the scan direction), and also finely drivesmask stage 14 in the Y-axis direction and the θz direction, via a maskstage drive system 52 (see FIG. 6) including, for example, a linearmotor. Position information of mask stage 14 within the horizontal planeis obtained by a mask stage position measurement system 54 (see FIG. 6)including, for example, a laser interferometer.

Projection optical system 16 is disposed below mask stage 14. Projectionoptical system 16 is a so-called multi-lens type projection opticalsystem having a configuration similar to a projection optical systemdisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,775 and the like, andprojection optical system 16 is equipped with a plurality of opticalsystems that are, for example, both-side telecentric and form erectednormal images. An optical axis AX of illumination light IL projected onsubstrate P from projection optical system 16 is substantially parallelto the Z-axis.

In liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10, when mask M located in apredetermined illumination area is illuminated with illumination lightIL from illumination system 12, by illumination light IL that has passedthrough mask M, a projected image of a pattern (a partial image of thepattern) of mask M within the illumination area is formed on an exposurearea on substrate P, via projection optical system 16. Then, mask M ismoved relative to the illumination area (illumination light IL) in thescanning direction and also substrate P is moved relative to theexposure area (illumination light IL) in the scanning direction, andthereby the scanning exposure of one shot area on substrate P isperformed and the pattern formed on mask M (the entire patterncorresponding to the scanning range of mask M) is transferred onto theshot area. Here, the illumination area on mask M and the exposure area(an irradiation area of the illumination light) on substrate P are in arelationship optically conjugate with each other by projection opticalsystem 16.

Apparatus main body 18 is a section to support mask stage 14 andprojection optical system 16 described above, and is installed on afloor F of a clean room via a plurality of vibration isolating devices18 d. Apparatus main body 18 is configured similarly to an apparatusmain body as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2008/0030702, and apparatus main body 18 has: an uppermount section 18 a (which is also referred to as an optical surfaceplate or the like) that supports projection optical system 16 describedabove; a pair of lower mount sections 18 b (one of which is notillustrated in FIG. 1 because the pair of lower mount sections 18 boverlap in a depth direction of the paper surface; see FIG. 2); and apair of middle mount sections 18 c.

Substrate stage device 20 is a section that performs the high accuracypositioning of substrate P relative to projection optical system 16(illumination light IL), and substrate stage device 20 drives substrateP with a predetermined long stroke along the horizontal plane (theX-axis direction and the Y-axis direction), and also finely drivessubstrate P in directions of six degrees of freedom. Substrate stagedevice 20 is equipped with a base frame 22, a coarse movement stage 24,a weight cancelling device 26, an X guide bar 28, a substrate table 30,a noncontact holder 32, a pair of auxiliary tables 34, a substratecarrier 40 and the like.

Base frame 22 is equipped with a pair of X beams 22 a. X beam 22 a ismade up of a member with a rectangular YZ cross-sectional shapeextending in the X-axis direction. The pair of X beams 22 a are disposedat a predetermined spacing in the Y-axis direction, and are eachinstalled on floor F via leg sections 22 b, in a state of beingphysically separated (vibrationally isolated) from apparatus main body18. Each of the pair of X beams 22 a and each of leg sections 22 b areintegrally connected by a connecting member 22C.

Coarse movement stage 24 is a section for driving substrate P with along stroke in the X-axis direction, and is equipped with a pair of Xcarriages 24 a, correspondingly to the pair of X beams 22 a describedabove. X carriage 24 a is formed into an inversed L-like YZcross-sectional shape, and is placed on the corresponding X beam 22 avia a plurality of mechanical linear guide devices 24 c.

The pair of X carriages 24 a are synchronously driven with apredetermined long stroke in the X-axis direction (about 1 to 1.5 timethe length of substrate P in the X-axis direction) along therespectively corresponding X beams 22 a, by main controller 50 (see FIG.6) via an X linear actuator that is a part of a substrate table drivesystem 56 (see FIG. 6) for driving substrate table 30. The type of the Xlinear actuator for driving X carriage 24 a can be changed as needed. InFIG. 2, for example, a linear motor 24 d including a mover that Xcarriage 24 a has and a stator that the corresponding X beam 22 a has isused, but this is not intended to be limiting, and for example, a feedscrew (ball screw) device or the like may be used.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 2, coarse movement stage 24 has a pairof Y stators 62 a. Y stator 62 a is made up of a member extending in theY-axis direction (see FIG. 1). One of Y stators 62 a and the other of Ystators 62 a bridge on the pair of X carriages 24 a, at the +X side endvicinity part of coarse movement stage 24 and at the −X side endvicinity part of coarse movement stage 24 a (see FIG. 1), respectively.The functions of Y stators 62 a will be described later.

Weight cancelling device 26 is inserted between the pair of X carriages24 a that coarse movement stage 24 has, and supports the empty weight ofa system including substrate table 30 and noncontact holder 32, frombelow. Since the details of weight cancelling device 26 are disclosedin, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0018950,the description thereof will be omitted. Weight cancelling device 26 ismechanically connected to coarse movement stage 24, via a plurality ofconnecting devices 26 a (which are also referred to as flexure devices)radially extending from weight cancelling device 26, and weightcancelling device 26 is towed by coarse movement stage 24, thereby beingmoved integrally with coarse movement stage 24 in the X-axis direction.Note that, although weight cancelling device 26 is to be connected tocoarse movement stage 24 via connecting devices 26 a radially extendingfrom weight cancelling device 26, a configuration, in which weightcancelling device 26 is connected by connecting devices 26 a extendingin the X direction in order to be moved only in the X-axis direction,may also be employed.

X guide bar 28 is a section that functions as a surface plate whenweight cancelling device 26 is moved. X guide bar 28 is made up of amember extending in the X-axis direction, and as illustrated in FIG. 1,X guide bar 28 is inserted between the pair of X beams 22 a that baseframe 22 has, and is fixed on the pair of lower mount sections 18 b thatapparatus main body 18 has. The center in the Y-axis direction of Xguide bar 28 substantially coincides with the center in the Y-axisdirection of the exposure area generated on substrate P by illuminationlight IL. The upper surface of X guide bar 28 is set parallel to the XYplane (the horizontal plane). Weight cancelling device 26 describedabove is placed on X guide bar 28 in a noncontact state, for example,via air bearings 26 b. When coarse movement stage 24 is moved in theX-axis direction on base frame 22, weight cancelling device 26 is movedin the X-axis direction on X guide bar 28.

Substrate table 30 is made up of a plate-like (or box-like) memberhaving a rectangular shape in planar view with the X-axis directionserving as a longitudinal direction, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, issupported in a noncontact manner from below by weight cancelling device26 in a state where the center part is freely oscillated with respect tothe XY plane via a spherical bearing device 26 c. Further, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the pair of auxiliary tables 34 (not illustratedin FIG. 2) are connected to substrate table 30. The functions of thepair of auxiliary tables 34 will be described later.

Referring back to FIG. 2, substrate table 30 is finely driven as neededrelative to coarse movement stage 24, in directions intersecting thehorizontal plane (the XY plane), i.e., the Z-axis direction, the θxdirection and the θy direction (hereinafter, referred to as Z-tiltdirections), by a plurality of linear motors 30 a (e.g. voice coilmotors) that are a part of substrate table drive system 56 (see FIG. 6)and include stators that coarse movement stage 24 has and movers thatsubstrate table 30 itself has.

Substrate table 30 is mechanically connected to coarse movement stage 24via a plurality of connecting devices 30 b (flexure devices) radiallyextending from substrate table 30. Connecting devices 30 b include, forexample, boll joints, and are arranged so as not to disturb the relativemovement of substrate table 30 with a fine stroke with respect to coarsemovement stage 24 in the Z-tilt directions. Further, in the case wherecoarse movement stage 24 is moved with a long stroke in the X-axisdirection, substrate table 30 is towed by coarse movement stage 24 viathe plurality of connecting devices 30 b, and thereby coarse movementstage 24 and substrate table 30 are integrally moved in the X-axisdirection. Note that, since substrate table 30 is not moved in theY-axis direction, substrate table 30 may be connected to coarse movementstage 24 via a plurality of connecting devices 30 b parallel to theX-axis direction, instead of connecting devices 30 b radially extendingtoward coarse movement stage 24.

Noncontact holder 32 is made up of a plate-like (or box-like) memberhaving a rectangular shape in planar view with the X-axis directionserving as a longitudinal direction, and supports substrate P from belowwith its upper surface. Noncontact holder 32 has a function ofpreventing the sag, wrinkle or the like of substrate P from beinggenerated (of performing flatness correction of substrate P). Noncontactholder 32 is fixed to the upper surface of substrate table 30, and ismoved with a long stroke integrally with substrate table 30 describedabove in the X-axis direction and is also finely moved in the Z-tiltdirections.

The length of each of the four sides of the upper surface (the substratesupporting surface) of noncontact holder 32 is set to be substantiallythe same as (actually, slightly shorter than) the length of each of thefour sides of substrate P. Consequently, noncontact holder 32 cansupport substantially the entirety of substrate P from below, or morespecifically, can support an exposure target area on substrate P (anarea excluding margin areas that are formed at the end vicinity parts ofsubstrate P) from below.

A pressurized gas supply device and a vacuum suction device (notillustrated) that are installed external to substrate stage device 20are connected to noncontact holder 32 via piping members such as, forexample, tubes. Further, a plurality of minute hole sections thatcommunicate with the piping members referred to above are formed on theupper surface (the substrate placing surface) of noncontact holder 32.Noncontact holder 32 jets pressurized gas (e.g. compressed air) suppliedfrom the pressurized gas supply device described above to the lowersurface of substrate P via (apart of) the hole sections, therebylevitating substrate P. Further, together with the jet of thepressurized gas described above, noncontact holder 32 suctions airbetween the lower surface of substrate P and the substrate supportingsurface by a vacuum suction force supplied from the vacuum suctiondevice described above. Accordingly, the load (the preload) acts onsubstrate P, and the flatness correction of substrate P is performedalong the upper surface of noncontact holder 32. However, the relativemovement between substrate P and noncontact holder 32 in directionsparallel to the horizontal plane is not disturbed because a gap isformed between substrate P and noncontact holder 32.

Substrate carrier 40 is a section that holds substrate P, and movessubstrate P relative to illumination light IL (see FIG. 1) in directionsof three degrees of freedom within the horizontal plane (the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction and the θz direction). Substrate carrier40 is formed into a rectangular frame-like (a picture-frame-like) shapein planar view, and is moved relative to noncontact holder 32 along theXY plane in a state of holding the areas (the margin areas) near theends (the outer periphery edges) of substrate P. The details ofsubstrate carrier 40 will be described below using FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, substrate carrier 40 is equipped with a pairof X frames 42 x and a pair of Y frames 42 y. The pair of X frames 42 xare each made up of a tabular member extending in the X-axis direction,and are disposed at a predetermined spacing in the Y-axis direction (thespacing wider than the size of substrate P and the size of noncontactholder 32 in the Y-axis direction). Further, the pair of Y frames 42 yare each made up of a tabular member extending in the Y-axis direction,and are disposed at a predetermined spacing in the X-axis direction (thespacing wider than the size of substrate P and the size of noncontactholder 32 in the X-axis direction).

Y frame 42 y on the +X side is connected, via a spacer 42 a, to thelower surface of the +X side end vicinity part of each of the pair of Xframes 42 x. Similarly, Y frame 42 y on the −X side is connected, via aspacer 42 a, to the lower surface of the −X side end vicinity part ofeach of the pair of X frames 42 x. Accordingly, the height positions(the positions in the Z-axis direction) of the upper surfaces of thepair of Y frames 42 y are set lower (on the −Z side) than the heightpositions of the lower surfaces of the pair of X frames 42 x.

Further, a pair of adsorption pads 44 are attached, spaced apart in theX-axis direction, to the lower surface of each of the pair of X frames42 x. Consequently, substrate carrier 40 has, for example, fouradsorption pads 44 in total. Adsorption pads 44 are disposed protrudingfrom the surfaces of the pair of X frames 42 x facing each other, towarddirections opposed to each other (to the inner side of substrate carrier40). For example, the positions of the four adsorption pads 44 withinthe horizontal plane (the attached positions with respect to X frames 42x) are set so that the four adsorption pads 44 can support the fourcorner vicinity parts (the margin areas) of substrate P from below in astate where substrate P is inserted between the pair of X frames 42 x.For example, a vacuum suction device (not illustrated) is connected toeach of the four adsorption pads 44. Adsorption pads 44 adsorb and holdthe lower surface of substrate P by vacuum suction forces supplied fromthe vacuum suction device descried above. Note that the number ofadsorption pads 44 is not limited to four, but can be changed as needed.

Here, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a state where noncontact holder 32and substrate carrier 40 are combined, the four corner vicinity parts ofsubstrate P are supported (adsorbed and held) from below by adsorptionpads 44 that substrate carrier 40 has, and also the substantially entiresurface including the center part of substrate P is supported in anoncontact manner from below by noncontact holder 32. In this state, the+X side end and the −X side end of substrate P protrude from the +X sideend and the −X side end of noncontact holder 32, respectively, and forexample, the four adsorption pads 44 (a part of which is not illustratedin FIG. 2) adsorb and hold the portions of substrate P protruding fromnoncontact holder 32. That is, the attached positions of adsorption pads44 with respect to X frames 42 x are set so that adsorption pads 44 arelocated on the outer side with respect to noncontact holder 32 in theX-axis direction.

Next, a substrate carrier drive system 60 (see FIG. 6) for drivingsubstrate carrier 40 will be described. In the present embodiment, maincontroller 50 (see FIG. 6) drives substrate carrier 40 with a longstroke relative to noncontact holder 32 in the Y-axis direction and alsofinely drives substrate carrier 40 in the directions of three degrees offreedom within the horizontal plane, via substrate carrier drive system60. Further, main controller 50 drives noncontact holder 32 andsubstrate carrier 40 integrally (synchronously) in the X-axis directionvia substrate table drive system 56 described above (see FIG. 6) andsubstrate carrier drive system 60.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, substrate carrier drive system 60 is equippedwith a pair of Y linear actuators 62 that include Y stators 62 a thatcoarse movement stage 24 described above has and Y movers 62 b that workwith Y stators 62 a to generate thrust forces in the Y-axis direction.As illustrated in FIG. 4, a Y stator 64 a and an X stator 66 a areattached to Y mover 62 b of each of the pair of Y linear actuators 62.

Y stator 64 a works with a Y mover 64 b attached to substrate carrier 40(the lower surface of Y frame 42 y), to configure a Y voice coil motor64 that applies a thrust force in the Y-axis direction to substratecarrier 40. Further, X stator 66 a works with an X mover 66 b attachedto substrate carrier 40 (the lower surface of Y frame 42 y), toconfigure an X voice coil motor 66 that applies a thrust force in theX-axis direction to substrate carrier 40. In this manner, substratestage device 20 has one each of Y voice coil motor 64 and X voice coilmotor 66 on each of the +X side and the −X side of substrate carrier 40.

Here, on the +X side and the −X side of substrate carrier 40, Y voicecoil motors 64 and X voice coil motors 66 are each disposedpoint-symmetric with respect to the gravity center position of substrateP. Consequently, when causing the thrust force in the X-axis directionto act on substrate carrier 40 using X voice coil motor 66 on the +Xside of substrate carrier 40 and X voice coil motor 66 on the −X side ofsubstrate carrier 40, the effect similar to that of causing the thrustforce in parallel to the X-axis direction to act on the gravity centerposition of substrate P can be obtained, that is, the moment in the θzdirection can be suppressed from acting on substrate carrier 40(substrate P). Note that, since a pair of Y voice coil motors 64 aredisposed with the gravity center (line) of substrate P in the X-axisdirection in between, the moment in the θz direction does not act onsubstrate carrier 40.

Substrate carrier 40 is finely driven relative to coarse movement stage24 (i.e. noncontact holder 32) in the directions of three degrees offreedom within the horizontal plane, by main controller 50 (FIG. 6) viathe pair of Y voice coil motors 64 and the pair of X voice coil motors66 described above. Further, when coarse movement stage 24 (i.e.noncontact holder 32) is moved with a long stroke in the X-axisdirection, main controller 50 applies the thrust force in the X-axisdirection to substrate carrier 40 using the pair of X voice coil motors66 described above so that noncontact holder 32 and substrate carrier 40are integrally moved with a long stroke in the X-axis direction.

Further, main controller 50 (see FIG. 6) relatively moves substratecarrier 40 with a long stroke with respect to noncontact holder 32 inthe Y-axis direction, using the pair of Y linear actuators 62 and thepair of Y voice coil motors 64 described above. More specifically, whilemoving Y movers 62 b of the pair of Y linear actuators 62 in the Y-axisdirection, main controller 50 causes the thrust force in the Y-axisdirection to act on substrate carrier 40 using Y voice coil motors 64including Y stators 64 a attached to Y movers 62 b. Accordingly,substrate carrier 40 is moved with a long stroke independently(separately) from noncontact holder 32 in the Y-axis direction.

In this manner, in substrate stage device 20 of the present embodiment,substrate carrier 40 that holds substrate P is moved with a long strokeintegrally with noncontact holder 32 in the X-axis (scanning) direction,whereas substrate carrier 40 is moved with a long stroke independentlyfrom noncontact holder 32 in the Y-axis direction. Note that, althoughthe Z-positions of adsorption pads 44 and the Z-position of noncontactholder 32 are partially overlap as can be seen from FIG. 2, there is norisk that adsorption pads 44 and noncontact holder 32 come into contactwith each other because it is only the Y-axis direction in whichsubstrate carrier 40 is relatively moved with a long stroke with respectto noncontact holder 32.

Further, in the case where substrate table 30 (i.e. noncontact holder32) is driven in the Z-tilt directions, substrate P whose flatness hasbeen corrected along noncontact holder 32 changes in attitude togetherwith noncontact holder 32 in the Z-tilt directions, and thereforesubstrate carrier 40 that adsorbs and holds substrate P changes inattitude together with substrate P in the Z-tilt directions. Note thatthe attitude of substrate carrier 40 may be prevented from changing, bythe elastic deformation of adsorption pads 44.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the pair of auxiliary tables 34 are devicesthat work with noncontact holder 32 to support the lower surface ofsubstrate P held by substrate carrier 40, when substrate carrier 40 isrelatively moved in the Y-axis direction separately from noncontactholder 32. As is described above, substrate carrier 40 is relativelymoved with respect to noncontact holder 32 in a state of holdingsubstrate P, and therefore, for example, when substrate carrier 40 ismoved toward the +Y direction from the state shown in FIG. 1, the +Yside end vicinity part of substrate P is no longer supported bynoncontact holder 32. Therefore, in substrate stage device 20, in orderto suppress the bending due to the self-weight of a portion, ofsubstrate P, that is not supported by noncontact holder 32, substrate Pis supported from below using one of the pair of auxiliary tables 34.The pair of auxiliary tables 34 have substantially the same structure,except that they are disposed laterally symmetric on the page surface.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, auxiliary table 34 has a plurality of airlevitation units 36. Note that a configuration, in which air levitationunit 36 is formed into a bar-like shape extending in the Y-axisdirection and the plurality of air levitation units 36 are disposed at apredetermined spacing in the X-axis direction, is employed in thepresent embodiment, but the shape, the number, the placement and thelike of air levitation units 36 are not limited in particular, as far asthe bending of substrate P caused by the self-weight can be suppressed.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the plurality of air levitation units 36 aresupported from below by arm-like support members 36 a protruding fromthe side surfaces of substrate table 30. A minute gap is formed betweenthe plurality of air levitation units 36 and noncontact holder 32.

The height positions of the upper surfaces of air levitation units 36are set to be substantially the same as (or slightly lower than) theheight position of the upper surface of noncontact holder 32. Airlevitation units 36 support substrate Pin a noncontact manner by jettinggas (e.g. air) from the upper surfaces of air levitation units 36 to thelower surface of substrate P. Note that, although noncontact holder 32described above performs the flatness correction of substrate P bycausing the preload to act on substrate P, air levitation units 36 onlyhave to suppress the bending of substrate P, and therefore airlevitation units 36 should only supply the gas to the lower surface ofsubstrate P and do not have to control in particular the height positionof substrate P on air levitation units 36.

Next, a substrate position measurement system for measuring positioninformation of substrate P in the directions of six degrees of freedomwill be described. The substrate position measurement system has aZ-tilt position measurement system 58 (see FIG. 6) for obtainingposition information of substrate table 30 in directions intersectingthe horizontal plane (the position information in the Z-axis direction,and rotation amount information in the θx direction and the θydirection, hereinafter, referred to as “Z-tilt position information”),and a horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG. 6)for obtaining position information of substrate carrier 40 within the XYplane (the position information in the X-axis direction and the Y-axisdirection, and rotation amount information in the θz direction).

As illustrated in FIG. 2, Z-tilt position measurement system 58 (seeFIG. 6) includes a plurality (at least three) of laser displacementmeters 58 a fixed around spherical bearing device 26 c on the lowersurface of substrate table 30. Laser displacement meter 58 a irradiatesa target 58 b fixed to a housing of weight cancelling device 26, withmeasurement light, and receives its reflection light, thereby supplyingdisplacement amount information of substrate table 30 in the Z-axisdirection at the irradiation point of the measurement light to maincontroller 50 (see FIG. 6). For example, at least three laserdisplacement meters 58 a are disposed at three locations that do not lieon the same straight line (e.g. positions corresponding to vertexes of aregular triangle), and main controller 50 obtains the Z-tilt positioninformation of substrate table 30 (i.e. substrate P) on the basis of theoutputs of the at least three laser displacement meters 58 a. Sinceweight cancelling device 26 is moved along the upper surface of X guidebar 28 (the horizontal plane), main controller 50 can measure theattitude change of substrate table 30 with respect to the horizontalplane regardless of the X-position of substrate table 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, horizontal-in-plane position measurementsystem 70 (see FIG. 6) has a pair of head units 72. One of head units 72is disposed on the −Y side of projection optical system 16, while theother head unit 72 is disposed on the +Y side of projection opticalsystem 16.

Each of the pair of head units 72 obtains position information ofsubstrate P within the horizontal plane using reflection-typediffraction gratings that substrate carrier 40 has. As illustrated inFIG. 3, correspondingly to the pair head units 72 a, a plurality (e.g.six in FIG. 3) of scale plates 46 are pasted on the upper surface ofeach of the pair of X frames 42 x of substrate carrier 40. Scale plate46 is made up of a member with a band-like shape in planar viewextending in the X-axis direction. The length of scale plate 46 in theX-axis direction is shorter, compared to the length of X frame 42 x inthe X-axis direction, and the plurality of scale plates 46 are arrayedat a predetermined spacing (spaced apart from each other) in the X-axisdirection.

FIG. 5 shows X frame 42 x on the +Y side and head unit 72 correspondingthereto. On each of the plurality of scale plates 46 fixed on X frame 42x, an X scale 48 x and a Y scale 48 y are formed. X scale 48 x is formedin the −Y side half area of scale plate 46, while Y scale 48 y is formedin the +Y side half area of scale plate 46. X scale 48 x has areflection-type X diffraction grating, and Y scale 48 y has areflection-type Y diffraction grating. Note that in order to facilitatethe understanding, a spacing (a pitch) between a plurality of grid linesthat form X scale 48 x and Y scale 48 y is illustrated wider in FIG. 5than the actual spacing (the actual pitch).

As illustrated in FIG. 4, head unit 72 is equipped with: a Y linearactuator 74; a Y slider 76 that is driven with a predetermined strokerelative to projection optical system 16 (see FIG. 1) in the Y-axisdirection, by Y linear actuator 74; and a plurality of measurement heads(X encoder heads 78 x and 80 x, and Y encoder heads 78 y and 80 y) thatare fixed to Y slider 76. The pair of head units 72 are similarlyconfigured, except that they are configured laterally symmetric on thepage surface in FIGS. 1 and 4. Further, the plurality of scale plates 46fixed on the pair of X frames 42 x, respectively, are also configuredlaterally symmetric in FIGS. 1 and 4.

Y linear actuator 74 is fixed to the lower surface of upper mountsection 18 a that apparatus main body 18 has. Y linear actuator 74 isequipped with a linear guide that straightly guides Y slider 76 in theY-axis direction, and a drive system that applies a thrust force to Yslider 76. The type of the linear guide is not particularly limited, butan air bearing with a high repetitive reproducibility is suitable.Further, the type of the drive system is not particularly limited, and alinear motor, a belt (or wire) drive device or the like can be used.

Y linear actuator 74 is controlled by main controller 50 (see FIG. 6).The stroke amount of Y slider 76 in the Y-axis direction by Y linearactuator 74 is set equivalent to the stroke amount of substrate P(substrate carrier 40) in the Y-axis direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, head unit 72 is equipped with a pair of Xencoder heads 78 x (hereinafter, referred to as “X heads 78 x”), and apair of Y encoder heads 78 y (hereinafter, referred to as “Y heads 78y”). The pair of X heads 78 x and the pair of Y heads 78 y are eachdisposed, spaced apart at a predetermined spacing in the X-axisdirection.

X heads 78 x and Y heads 78 y are encoder heads of a so-calleddiffraction interference method as disclosed in, for example, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0094592, and irradiate theircorresponding scales (X scale 48 x and Y scale 48 y) with measurementbeams downwardly (toward the −Z direction), and receive beams (returnedbeams) from the corresponding scales, thereby supplying displacementamount information of substrate carrier 40 to main controller 50 (seeFIG. 6).

That is, in horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG.6), for example, four X heads 78 x in total that the pair of heads units72 have and X scales 48 x that face these X heads 78 x configure, forexample, four X linear encoder systems for obtaining positioninformation of substrate carrier 40 in the X-axis direction. Similarly,for example, four Y heads 78 y in total that the pair of heads units 72have and Y scales 48 y that face these Y heads 78 y configure, forexample, four Y linear encoder systems for obtaining positioninformation of substrate carrier 40 in the Y-axis direction.

Here, the spacing in the X-axis direction between the pair of X heads 78x and the spacing in the X-axis direction between the pair of Y heads 78y that each of the pair of head units 72 has are each set wider than thespacing between scale plates 46 adjacent to each other. Accordingly, inthe X encoder systems and the Y encoder systems, at least one of thepair of X heads 78 x constantly faces X scale 48 x and also at least oneof the pair of Y heads 78 y constantly faces Y scale 48 y, irrespectiveof the position of substrate carrier 40 in the X-axis direction.

Specifically, main controller 50 (FIG. 6) obtains X-position informationof substrate carrier 40 on the basis of the average value of the outputsof the pair of X heads 78 x in a state where the pair X heads 78 x bothface X scale 48 x. Further, main controller 50 obtains the X-positioninformation of substrate carrier 40 on the basis of only the output ofone X head 78 x of the pair of X heads 78 x in a state where only theone X head 78 x faces X scale 48 x. Consequently, the X encoder systemscan supply the position information of substrate carrier 40 to maincontroller 50 without interruption. The same can be said for the Yencoder systems.

Here, since substrate carrier 40 of the present embodiment is movablewith a predetermined long stroke also in the Y-axis direction as isdescribed above, main controller 50 (see FIG. 6) drives Y slider 76 (seeFIG. 4) of each of the pair of head units 72 in the Y-axis direction,via Y linear actuator 74 (see FIG. 4), to follow substrate carrier 40,depending on the position of substrate carrier 40 in the Y-axisdirection, so that respective facing states between X heads 78 x and Yheads 78 y and scales 48 x and 48 y respectively corresponding theretoare maintained. Main controller 50 comprehensively obtains positioninformation of substrate carrier 40 within the horizontal plane, byusing together the displacement amount (the position information) in theY-axis direction of Y sliders 76 (i.e. each of heads 78 x and 78 y) andthe output from each of heads 78 x and 78 y.

The position (displacement amount) information of Y sliders 76 (see FIG.4) within the horizontal plane is obtained by encoder systems with themeasurement accuracy equivalent to that of the encoder systems using Xheads 78 x and Y heads 78 y described above. As can be seen from FIGS. 4and 5, Y slider 76 has a pair of X encoder heads 80 x (hereinafter,referred to as “X heads 80 x”) and a pair of Y encoder heads 80 y(hereinafter, referred to as “Y heads 80 y”). The pair of X heads 80 xand the pair of Y heads 80 y are each disposed at a predeterminedspacing in the Y-axis direction.

Main controller 50 (see FIG. 6) obtains position information of Ysliders 76 within the horizontal plane using a plurality of scale plates82 fixed to the lower surface of upper mount section 18 a of apparatusmain body 18 (see FIG. 1 for each of them). Scale plate 82 is made up ofa member with a band-like shape in planar view extending in the Y-axisdirection. In the present embodiment, for example, two scale plates 82are disposed at a predetermined spacing (spaced apart from each other)in the Y-axis direction, above each of the pair of head units 72.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, in a +X side area on the lower surface ofscale plate 82, an X scale 84 x is formed facing the pair of X heads 80x described above, and in a −X side area on the lower surface of scaleplate 82, a Y scale 84 y is formed facing the pair of Y heads 80 ydescribed above. X scale 84 x and Y scale 84 y are light-reflection-typediffraction gratings having the configurations substantially similar tothose of X scale 48 x and Y scale 48 y formed on scale plate 46described above. Further, X head 80 x and Y head 80 y are encoder headsof a diffraction interference method having the configurations similarto those of X head 78 x and Y head 78 y (the downward heads) describedabove.

The pair of X heads 80 x and the pair of Y heads 80 y irradiate theircorresponding scales (X scale 84 x and Y scale 84 y) with measurementbeams upwardly (toward the +Z direction), and receive the beams from thecorresponding scales, thereby supplying displacement amount informationof Y slider 76 (see FIG. 4) within the horizontal plane to maincontroller 50 (see FIG. 6). The spacing in the Y-axis direction betweenthe pair of X heads 80 x and the spacing in the Y-axis direction betweenthe pair of Y heads 80 y are each set wider than the spacing betweenscale plates 82 adjacent to each other. Accordingly, at least one of thepair of X heads 80 x constantly faces X scale 84 x and also at least oneof the pair of Y heads 80 y constantly faces Y scale 84 y, irrespectiveof the position of Y slider 76 in the Y-axis direction. Consequently,the position information of Y slider 76 can be supplied to maincontroller 50 (see FIG. 6) without interruption.

In FIG. 6, a block diagram is illustrated that shows the input/outputrelationship of main controller 50 that centrally configures the controlsystem of liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1) and performsthe overall control of each of the constituents. Main controller 50includes a workstation (or a microcomputer) and the like, and performsthe overall control of each of the constituents of liquid crystalexposure apparatus 10.

In liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1) configured asdescribed above, under the control of main controller 50 (see FIG. 6),mask M is loaded onto mask stage 14 by a mask loader (not illustrated)and also substrate P is loaded onto substrate stage device 20 (substratecarrier 40 and noncontact holder 32) by a substrate loader (notillustrated). After that, main controller 50 implements alignmentmeasurement using an alignment detection system (not illustrated), andfocus mapping using an autofocus sensor (not illustrated) (a surfaceposition measurement system of substrate P), and after the alignmentmeasurement and the focus mapping are finished, the exposure operationsof a step-and-scan method are sequentially performed with respect to aplurality of shot areas set on substrate P.

Next, an example of operations of substrate stage device 20 at the timeof exposure operations will be described using FIGS. 7a to 9b . Notethat, in the description below, the case where four shot areas are seton one substrate P (the so-called case of preparing four areas) will bedescribed, but the number and the placement of the shot areas set on onesubstrate P can be changed as needed. In the present embodiment, as anexample, the description will be made assuming that the exposureprocessing is performed from a first shot area 51 set on the −Y side andon the +X side of substrate P. Further, in order to avoid the intricacyof the drawings, a part of elements that substrate stage device 20 hasis omitted in FIGS. 7a to 9 b.

FIGS. 7a and 7b show a plan view and a front view, respectively, ofsubstrate stage device 20 in a state where operations such as analignment operation have been completed and preparation of the exposureoperation with respect to the first shot area S1 is finished. Insubstrate stage device 20, as illustrated in FIG. 7a , the positioningof substrate P is performed on the basis of the output ofhorizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG. 6) so thatthe +X side end of the first shot area S1 is slightly located on thefurther −X side than exposure area IA to be formed on substrate P byillumination light IL from projection optical system 16 (see FIG. 7b foreach of them) being irradiated (however, in the state shown in FIG. 7a ,illumination light IL has not yet been irradiated on substrate P).

Further, since the center of exposure area IA and the center of X guidebar 28 (i.e. noncontact holder 32) substantially coincide with eachother in the Y-axis direction, the +Y side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P held by substrate carrier 40 protrudes from noncontactholder 32. The protruding portion of substrate P is supported from belowby auxiliary table 34 disposed on the +Y side of noncontact holder 32.At this time, although the flatness correction by noncontact holder 32is not performed with respect to the +Y side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P, the exposure accuracy is not affected because the flatnesscorrected state is maintained for an area including the first shot areaS1 serving as an exposure target.

Subsequently, from the state as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b , substratecarrier 40 and noncontact holder 32 are integrally (synchronously)driven (accelerated, driven at the constant speed, and decelerated)toward the +X direction on X guide bar 28 (see a black arrow in FIG. 8a), synchronously with mask M (see FIG. 1), on the basis of the output ofhorizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG. 6), asillustrated in FIGS. 8a and 8b . While substrate carrier 40 andnoncontact holder 32 are driven at the constant speed in the X-axisdirection, substrate P is irradiated with illumination light IL that haspassed through mask M (see FIG. 1) and projection optical system 16 (seeFIG. 8b for each of illumination light IL and projection optical system16), and thereby a mask pattern that mask M has is transferred onto theshot area 51. At this time, substrate carrier 40 is finely driven asneeded relative to noncontact holder 32 in the directions of threedegrees of freedom within the horizontal plane, in accordance with theresult of the alignment measurement, and noncontact holder 32 is finelydriven as needed in the Z-tilt directions in accordance with the resultof the focus mapping described above.

Here, in horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG.6), when substrate carrier 40 and noncontact holder 32 are driven in theX-axis direction (toward the +X direction in FIG. 8a ), Y sliders 76that the pair of head units 72 respectively have (see FIG. 4 for each ofthem) are in a static state (however, head units 72 do not have to bestrictly in a static state, and at least a part of the heads that headunits 72 have only have to face scale plate 46 in the Y-axis direction).

When the transfer of the mask pattern onto the first shot area S1 onsubstrate P has been completed, in substrate stage device 20, asillustrated in FIGS. 9a and 9b , for the exposure operation with respectto a second shot area S2 set on the +Y side of the first shot area S1,substrate carrier 40 is driven (Y-step driven) relative to noncontactholder 32 by a predetermined distance toward the −Y direction (adistance that is substantially a half of the width direction size ofsubstrate P) (see black arrows in FIG. 9a ), on the basis of the outputof horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG. 6). Bythe foregoing Y-step operation of substrate carrier 40, the −Y side endvicinity part of substrate P held by substrate carrier 40 is supportedfrom below by auxiliary table 34 disposed on the −Y side of noncontactholder 32.

Further, in horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 (see FIG.6), when substrate carrier 40 described above is driven in the Y-axisdirection, Y slider 76 that each of the pair of head units 72 has (seeFIG. 4 for each of them) is driven in the Y-axis direction synchronouslywith substrate carrier 40 (however, their velocities need not strictlybe coincide with each other).

Then, although not illustrated, substrate carrier 40 and noncontactholder 32 are driven toward the −X direction, synchronously with mask M(see FIG. 1), and thereby the scanning exposure with respect to thesecond shot area S2 is performed. Further, the Y-step operation ofsubstrate carrier 40 and the constant speed movement of substratecarrier and noncontact holder 32 in the X-axis direction insynchronization with mask M are repeated as needed, and thereby thescanning exposure operations with respect to all the shot areas set onsubstrate P are sequentially performed.

According to substrate stage device 20 described so far that liquidcrystal exposure apparatus 10 related to the present first embodimenthas, when the high accuracy positioning of substrate P within the XYplane is performed, substrate carrier 40 with a frame-like shape thatholds only the outer periphery edges of substrate P is driven in thedirections of three degrees of freedom within the horizontal plane.Therefore, a driving target object (substrate carrier 40 in the presentembodiment) is lightweight, compared with, for example, the case ofperforming the high accuracy positioning of substrate P by driving asubstrate holder that adsorbs and holds the entire lower surface ofsubstrate P in the directions of three degrees of freedom within thehorizontal plane, and thus the position controllability is improved.Further, the actuators for driving (Y voice coil motors 64 and X voicecoil motors 66 in the present embodiment) can be downsized.

Further, since horizontal-in-plane position measurement system 70 forobtaining position information of substrate P within the XY planeincludes the encoder systems, the influence by air fluctuation can bereduced, compared with, for example, conventional interferometersystems. Consequently, the positioning accuracy of substrate P isimproved. In addition, since the influence by air fluctuation is small,a partial air-conditioning facility that is essential in the case ofusing the conventional interferometer systems can be omitted, whichallows the cost to be reduced.

Note that the configuration described in the present first embodiment isan example, and can be modified as needed. For example, in a substratecarrier 40A related to a first modified example as shown in FIGS. 10aand 10b , a plate member 42 b that is auxiliary is connected to theouter side surface of each of the pair of X frames 42 x. Plate members42 b are disposed substantially parallel to the XY plane and the lowersurfaces of plate members 42 b face the upper surfaces of air levitationunits 36 via a predetermined spacing, as illustrated in FIG. 10b . Theplurality of air levitation units 36 jet the gas to the lower surfacesof plate members 42 b, thereby causing a force (a lift force) toward the+Z direction (upwardly in the gravity direction) to act on substratecarrier 40A. Since, in substrate carrier 40A related to the presentfirst modified example, plate members 42 b are constantly supported frombelow by the plurality of air levitation units 36, it is possible toprevent X frames 42 x and noncontact holder 32 (or air levitation units36) from coming into contact with each other when substrate carrier 40Ais relatively moved with respect to noncontact holder 32 in the Y-axisdirection, even if the difference in level (the difference in the heightposition in the Z-axis direction) is formed between noncontact holder 32and the plurality of air levitation units 36.

Further, for example, like a substrate stage device 120 related to asecond modified example as shown in FIG. 11, a reference index plate 144may be attached to a substrate carrier 140 and mark measurement sensors132 may be attached to substrate table 30. As illustrated in FIG. 12a ,a plurality of reference marks 146 are formed at reference index plate144, spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction. Referenceindex plate 144 is fixed, via a raising member 148, to the upper surfaceof a Y frame 142 y on the −X side of substrate carrier 140 so that theZ-positions of the plurality of reference marks 146 are substantiallythe same as the Z-position of the surface of substrate P (see FIG. 11).Referring back to FIG. 11, the plurality of mark measurement sensors 132are attached to a tabular member 134 with a T-like shape in planar view(see FIG. 12b ) that is formed protruding from the side surface on the−X side of substrate table 30. As illustrated in FIG. 12b , theplurality of mark measurement sensors 132 are disposed, spaced apartfrom each other in the Y-axis direction, correspondingly to theplurality of reference marks 146 described above (i.e., so that theplurality of mark measurement sensors 132 overlap with the plurality ofreference marks 146 in a vertical direction).

In the present second modified example, calibration related to, forexample, the optical properties (such as, for example, scaling, shiftand rotation) of projection optical system 16 (see FIG. 1) is performedusing the plurality of reference marks 146 and the plurality of markmeasurement sensors 132 corresponding thereto. The calibration method issubstantially the same as a calibration method disclosed in, forexample, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-330534, andtherefore the description thereof will be omitted. In the present secondmodified example, since substrate table 30, which is mechanicallyseparated from substrate carrier 140 having reference marks 146, hasmark measurement sensors 132, the wiring and the like are not necessaryfor substrate carrier 140 itself, which allows the weight of substratecarrier 140 to be reduced.

Further, Y frame 142 y of substrate carrier 140 related to the presentsecond modified example is formed wider, compared to that of the firstembodiment described above. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 12b , on eachof the upper surface of tabular member 134 described above and the uppersurface of a tabular member 136 formed protruding from the side surfaceon the +X side of substrate table 30, for example, two air bearings 138that are spaced apart in the Y-axis direction are attached. Asillustrated in FIG. 11, for example, the two air bearings 138 on the +Xside face the lower surface of Y frame 142 y on the +X side of substratecarrier 140, and for example, the two air bearings 138 on the −X sideface the lower surface of Y frame 142 y on the −X side of substratecarrier 140. Air bearings 138 jet the pressurized gas to the lowersurfaces of the facing Y frames 142 y, thereby supporting substratecarrier 140 in a noncontact manner via a predetermined gap. Accordingly,the bending of substrate carrier 140 is suppressed. Note that airbearings 138 may be attached to the substrate carrier 140 side so as toface the upper surfaces of tabular members 134 and 136 described above.Further, for example, substrate carrier 140 may be magneticallylevitated using magnets, instead of air bearings 138, or a buoyancyforce may be caused to act using actuators such as voice coil motors.

Further, like a substrate stage device 220 related to a third modifiedexample as shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b , the Z-positions of Y linearactuators 62, Y voice coil motors 64 and X voice coil motors 66 may beset to be the same as the Z-position of substrate carrier 40A. That is,in substrate stage device 220, Y movers 64 b of Y voice coil motors 64and X movers 66 b of X voice coil motors 66 are fixed to the sidesurfaces of Y frames 42 y of substrate carrier 40A. Further, Y stators62 a of Y linear actuators 62 for driving in the Y-axis direction Ymovers 62 b, to which Y stators 64 a of Y voice coil motors 64 and Xstators 66 a of X voice coil motors 66 are attached, are attached on acoarse movement stage 224 via support columns 62 c, so that theZ-positions of Y stators 62 a are the same as the Z-position ofsubstrate carrier 40.

Further, substrate carrier 40A of the present third modified example hasa pair of auxiliary plate members 42 b that are supported from below bythe plurality of air levitation units 36, which is similar to the firstmodified example described above (see FIGS. 10a and 10b ). Further, Asillustrated in FIG. 13b , tabular members 234 and 236 protrude from theside surface on the −X side and the side surface on the +X side,respectively, of substrate table 30, and air levitation units 238 eachextending in the Y-axis direction are fixed on tabular members 234 and236, which is similar to the second modified example described above(see FIGS. 11 to 12 b). The height positions of the upper surfaces ofair levitation units 238 are set lower, compared to the height positionsof air levitation units 36. In substrate carrier 240, Y frames 242 y areconstantly (irrespective of the position in the Y-axis direction)supported in a noncontact manner from below by air levitation units 238.In other words, substrate carrier 40A is placed on a pair of airlevitation units 238. Accordingly, the bending of substrate carrier 40Ais suppressed.

Second Embodiment

Next, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus related to a second embodimentwill be described using FIGS. 14 to 20 b. Since the configuration of theliquid crystal exposure apparatus related to the second embodiment isthe same as that in the first embodiment described above, except thatthe configuration of a substrate stage device 420 is different.Therefore, only the differences will be described below, and elementsthat have the same configurations and functions as those in the firstembodiment described above will be provided with the same referencesigns as those in the first embodiment described above, and thedescription thereof will be omitted.

In substrate stage device 20 (see the drawings such as FIG. 1) of thefirst embodiment described above, substrate carrier 40 that holdssubstrate P is configured to be moved with a long stroke integrally withnoncontact holder 32 in the scan direction and to be moved with a longstroke separately from noncontact holder 32 in the non-scan direction,whereas in substrate stage device 420 in the present second embodiment,inversely to the first embodiment described above, a substrate carrier440 that holds substrate P is moved with a long stroke integrally withnoncontact holder 32 in the non-scan direction and is moved with a longstroke separately from noncontact holder 32 in the scan direction, whichis different from the first embodiment described above. That is,substrate stage device 420 related to the present second embodiment isconfigured, as a whole, like substrate stage device 20 related to thefirst embodiment described above being rotated around the Z-axis, forexample, at a 90 degree angle. Note that the longitudinal direction ofsubstrate P is substantially parallel to the X-axis, which is similar tothe first embodiment described above.

The details of substrate stage device 420 will be described below. Asillustrated in FIG. 14, substrate stage device 420 is equipped with:abase frame 422; a coarse movement stage 424; weight cancelling device26 (not illustrated in FIG. 14; see the drawings such as FIG. 15a ); a Yguide bar 428 (not illustrated in FIG. 14; see the drawings such as FIG.15a ); substrate table 30 (not illustrated in FIG. 14; see the drawingssuch as FIG. 17a ); noncontact holder 32; a pair of auxiliary tables434; substrate carrier 440; and the like. Since base frame 422, coarsemovement stage 424, Y guide bar 428, the pair of auxiliary tables 434and substrate carrier 440 referred to above are members that functionsimilarly to base frame 22, coarse movement stage 24, X guide bar 28,substrate table 30, noncontact holder 32, the pair of auxiliary tables34 and substrate carrier 40 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), those members will bebriefly described below. Note that weight cancelling device 26,substrate table 30 and noncontact holder 32 are substantially the sameas those in the first embodiment described above, respectively.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15a and 15b , in the present second embodiment,a lower mount section 418 b that is a part of an apparatus main body 418installed on floor F via vibration isolating devices 18 d is made up ofone plate-like member, and Y guide bar 428 is fixed to the upper surfaceof lower mount section 418 b. On Y guide bar 428, weight cancellingdevice 26 is placed. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 16a and 16b , baseframe 422 has a pair of Y beams 422 a installed on floor F via legsections 422 b, and coarse movement stage 424 is placed movable with apredetermined long stroke in the Y-axis direction on base fame 422. Inthe present second embodiment, coarse movement stage 424 has a pair of Ytables 424 b that connect the +Y-side end vicinities of a pair of Ycarriages 424 a and connect the −Y-side end vicinities of the pair of Ycarriages 424 a, respectively. One ends of connecting devices 26 a fortowing weight cancelling device (see the drawings such as FIG. 15a ) andone ends of connecting devices 30 b for towing substrate table 30 (seethe drawings such as FIG. 17b ) are connected to Y tables 424 b.Further, X stators 462 a are fixed to the pair of Y tables 424 b viasupport columns 462 c. X stators 462 a configure X linear actuators 462together with X movers 462 b. And, a Y stator 464 a and an X stator 466a are attached to X mover 462 b.

As illustrated in FIGS. 17a and 17b , substrate table 30 and noncontactholder 32 are each made up of a plate-like (or box-like) member having arectangular shape in planar view with the X-axis direction serving as alongitudinal direction, which is similar to the first embodimentdescribed above. Each of the pair of auxiliary tables 434 has aplurality of air levitation units 436 that are supported from below byarm-like support members 436 a that protrude from the side surfaces ofsubstrate table 30. Air levitation unit 436 is made up of a memberextending in the X-axis direction, which is different from the firstembodiment described above (see the drawings such as FIG. 3). Further, apair of air levitation units 438 are connected to substrate table 30 viasupport members 438 a. Air levitation unit 438 functions similarly toair levitation unit 238 of the third modified example described above(see FIGS. 13a and 13b ), except that air levitation unit 438 extends inthe X-axis direction. That is, the pair of air levitation units 438support a pair of X frames 442 x that substrate carrier 440 has, frombelow in a noncontact manner, as illustrated in FIG. 14.

As illustrated in FIGS. 18a and 18b , substrate carrier 440 is made upof a rectangular frame-like (a picture-frame-like) member, which issimilar to the first embodiment descried above (see the drawings such asFIG. 3), and has the pair of X frames 442 x and a pair of Y frames 442y. Y frames 42 y are attached to the lower surface sides of X frames 42x (see FIG. 3) in substrate carrier 40 of the first embodiment describedabove, whereas Y frames 442 y are attached to the upper surface sides ofX frames 442 x in substrate carrier 440 of the present secondembodiment. Accordingly, the contact between Y frames 442 y and airlevitation units 438 that auxiliary tables 434 have (see FIG. 14 foreach of them) is avoided. Further, a plurality of adsorption pads 44 areattached to the lower surfaces of Y frames 442 y. A plurality of scaleplates 46 are attached to each of the pair of X frames 442 x, which isthe same as the first embodiment described above. Further, on the sidesurface of each of the pair of X frames 442 x, attached are a Y mover464 b and an X mover 466 b that configure a Y voice coil motor 464 andan X voice coil motor 466 (see FIG. 20a for each of them), respectively,together with Y stator 464 a and X stator 466 a described above (seeFIG. 16a for each of them). Since a position measurement system ofsubstrate carrier 440 is the same as that in the first embodimentdescribed above, the description thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIGS. 19a and 19b , main controller 50 performs thepositioning of substrate P relative to exposure area IA in the X-axisdirection by driving only substrate carrier 440 in the X-axis direction.An area, which is not supported by noncontact holder 32, of substrate Pis supported by either one of the pair of auxiliary tables 434. Inexposure operations in the present second embodiment, since onlysubstrate carrier 440 is driven with a long stroke relative to exposurearea IA in the X-axis direction, substrate P passes through a spaceabove noncontact holder 32 (in a state where a predetermined gap isformed in between). Noncontact holder 32 performs the flatnesscorrection of substrate P passing through the space above, in anoncontact manner.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 20a and 20b , main controller 50performs the positioning of substrate P relative to projection opticalsystem 16 (i.e. exposure area IA (see FIG. 19a )) in the Y-axisdirection, by driving coarse movement stage 424 and noncontact holder 32with a predetermined long stroke in the Y-axis direction and also movingsubstrate carrier 440 integrally with coarse movement stage 424 in theY-axis direction.

According to the second embodiment described so far, since onlysubstrate carrier 440 is driven in the scanning direction at the time ofscanning exposure, the vibration can be suppressed from being generated,compared to the first embodiment described above (see the drawings suchas FIG. 8a ) in which noncontact holder 32 and the pair of auxiliarytables 34 also need to be driven in the scan direction, and thereforethe high accuracy exposure operations can be performed. Since weightcancelling device 26 is moved only at the time of the Y-step operation,the size of Y guide bar 428 in the longitudinal direction is shorter,compared to that of X guide bar 28 in the first embodiment describedabove. Further, since weight cancelling device 26 is in a static stateat the time of exposure operations, the flatness degree of the guidesurface of Y guide bar 428 serving as a surface plate for weightcancelling device 26 may be rough, compared to the first embodimentdescribed above.

Note that the configuration described in the present second embodimentis an example, and can be modified as needed. For example, as in asubstrate stage device 520 related to a modified example of the secondembodiment (a fourth modified example) as shown in FIGS. 21 to 26 b, apair of auxiliary tables 534 may be physically separated from substratetable 30 (see FIG. 24a ). With regard to the fourth modified example,only the differences from the second embodiment described above will bedescribed below, and common elements will be provided with the samereference signs as those in the second embodiment described above, andthe description thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIGS. 22a and 22b , for example, three Y guide bars528 are fixed, at a predetermined spacing in the X-axis direction, onlower mount section 418 b. Y guide bar 528 is formed with a size and ashape similar to those of Y guide bar 428 (see the drawings such as FIG.15a ) in the second embodiment described above. In the present fourthmodified example, however, weight cancelling device 26 is placed on Yguide bar 528 via a mechanical linear guide device 26 d, and thereforethe flatness degree of the upper surface of Y guide bar 528 is rough,compared to that of Y guide bar 428 related to the second embodimentdescribed above. Further, a Z actuator 526 is placed on Y guide bars 528on the +X side and the −X side via Y linear guide device 26 d.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 23a and 23b , to each of a pair of Ytables 424 b that a coarse movement stage 524 has, a pair of plate-likemembers 524 a are connected protruding toward the +Y direction and the−Y direction. One ends of connecting devices 26 a for towing Z actuators526 described above (see the drawings such as FIG. 22b ) are connectedto plate-like members 524 a. That is, in the present fourth modifiedexample, for example, two Z actuators 526 (see the drawings such as FIG.22b for each of them) are towed by coarse movement stage 524 in asimilar manner to weight cancelling device 26 (integrally with weightcancelling device 26).

As illustrated in FIGS. 24a and 24b , each of the pair of auxiliarytables 534 has a plurality (e.g. four in FIG. 24a ) of air levitationunits 436. Similarly to the second embodiment described above, theplurality of air levitation units 436 support from below a portion, ofsubstrate P, that is not supported by noncontact holder 32. Further,auxiliary table 534 has a pair of air levitation units 538. In auxiliarytable 534, the plurality of air levitation units 436 and the pair of airlevitation units 538 are integrally placed on a base member 536 a.Auxiliary table 534 on the +X side is supported from below by Z actuator526 (see the drawings such as FIG. 22b ) on the +X side described above,while auxiliary table 534 on the −X side is supported from below by Zactuator 526 (see the drawings such as FIG. 22b ) on the −X sidedescribed above (see FIG. 26b ). A pair of air levitation units 538 arealso fixed to substrate table 30 via support members 538 a. Note thatair levitation unit 438 of the second embodiment described above isformed with a length enough to cover the entire movement range ofsubstrate carrier 440 (about three times the length of substrate P) inthe X-axis direction (see FIG. 14 for each of them), whereas airlevitation unit 538 of the present modified example is formed with alength that is about the same as the length of the other air levitationunit 436 (about the same as the length of substrate P).

Similarly to the second embodiment described above, also in the presentfourth modified example, X frames 442 x of substrate carrier 540 (seeFIG. 21 for each of them) are supported from below, as needed, by theplurality of air levitation units 538 (air levitation units 538 thatauxiliary tables 534 have and air levitation units 538 that substrate 30has).

As illustrated in FIGS. 25a and 25b , in substrate carrier 540, Y frames442 y are fixed on X frames 442 x via spacers 442 a (not illustrated inFIG. 25a because spacers 442 a are hidden behind Y frames 442 y).Further, a pair of adsorption pads 44 on the −X side are attached to thelower surface of Y frame 442 y on the −X side, whereas a pair ofadsorption pads 44 on the +X side are formed protruding from the innerside surfaces of X frames 442 x. Accordingly, in substrate carrier 540of the present modified example, the carry-out of substrate P fromsubstrate carrier 40 can be performed, by moving substrate P, from thestate as shown in FIG. 25a , toward the +X direction and causingsubstrate P to pass below Y frame 442 y on the +X side as illustrated inFIG. 25b . Also, the carry-in of substrate P to substrate carrier 40 canbe performed, by moving substrate P toward the −X direction.

Further, reference index plate 144, at which the plurality of referencemarks 146 are formed, is fixed on Y frame 442 y on the −X side viaraising member 148, which is similar to the second modified example (seeFIG. 12a ) of the first embodiment described above. And, correspondinglyto the plurality of reference marks 146, a plurality of mark measurementsensors 532 are attached to the lower surface of Y frame 442 y on the −Xside. That is, reference index plate 144 and mark measurement sensors132 are separately provided in the second modified example describedabove (see FIG. 11), whereas reference index plate 144 and markmeasurement sensors 532 are integrally provided at substrate carrier 540in the present modified example. Since the calibration using referenceindex plate 144 is the same as the second modified example describedabove, the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIGS. 26a and 26b , substrate stage device 520 at the time ofcarry-out operations of substrate P is illustrated. The carry-out ofsubstrate P is performed in a state where substrate carrier 540 is inthe center of the movement range in the X-axis direction, i.e.,substantially the entirety of substrate P is supported by noncontactholder 32. After the holding by adsorption of substrate P by substratecarrier 540 is released, substrate P is slid and moved toward the +Xdirection with respect to substrate carrier 540 by a carry-out device(not illustrated). Accordingly, substrate P is delivered (transferred)from noncontact holder 32 onto the plurality of air levitation units 438that auxiliary table 534 on the +X side has. Note that the carry-outdevice for sliding substrate P in the X-axis direction may be providedexternal to substrate stage device 520 (including also an externaldevice of the liquid crystal exposure apparatus), or substrate stagedevice 520 itself may have the carry-out device.

In substrate stage device 520 (see FIG. 21) related to the secondmodified example described so far, since the pair of auxiliary tables534 and substrate table 30 (and noncontact holder 32) are physicallyseparated, the Z-tilt position controllability of substrate P isimproved by weight reduction of a driving target object. Further, therespective Z-positions of the pair of auxiliary tables 534 can beindependently controlled, and therefore, for example, when substrate Pis moved (transferred) from noncontact holder 32 onto air levitationunits 436 of auxiliary table 534, the contact between the end ofsubstrate P and air levitation units 436 can be avoided by slightlylowering the Z-position of that auxiliary table 534. Further, substrateP can be carried out from (and carried into) substrate carrier 540 bysliding and moving substrate P, and therefore, even in the case where aspace above substrate stage device 520 is small, the substrate exchangeon substrate carrier 540 can be performed easily.

Note that the configurations of the first embodiment and the secondembodiment (including their modified examples) described so far areexamples, and can be changed as needed. For example, although in each ofthe embodiments described above, substrate carrier 40 or the like isformed into a rectangular frame-like shape by, for example, four framemembers along the outer periphery edges (four sides) of substrate P (inthe first embodiment, a pair of X frames 42 x and a pair of Y frames 42y), this is not intended to be limiting as far as the holding byadsorption of substrate P can be reliably performed. And, substratecarrier 40 or the like may be configured of frame members, for example,along a part of the outer periphery edges of substrate P. Specifically,the substrate carrier may be formed into a U-like shape in planar viewby, for example, three frame members along three sides of substrate P,or may be formed into an L-like shape in planar view by, for example,two frame members along two adjacent sides of substrate P. Also, thesubstrate carrier may be formed by, for example, only one frame memberalong one side of substrate P. Further, the substrate carrier may beconfigured by a plurality of members which hold portions different fromeach other of substrate P and whose positions are controlledindependently from each other.

Note that as illustrated in FIG. 2 or 13, although Z-tilt positionmeasurement system 58 irradiates target 58 b fixed to the housing ofweight cancelling device 26 with a measurement beam, using laserdisplacement meter 58 a provided at the lower surface of substrate table30, and receives the reflected beam, thereby obtaining displacementamount information of substrate table 30 in the Z-axis direction, thisis not intended to be limiting. Instead of Z-tilt position measurementsystem 58, Z sensor heads 78 z are disposed at head units 72, along withX heads 78 x and Y heads 78 y. As Z sensor head 78 z, for example, alaser displacement meter is used. In an area, of X frame 42 x, in whichthe scales that face X heads 78 x and Y heads 78 y are not disposed, areflection surface is formed by mirror polishing. Z sensor head 78 zirradiates the reflection surface with a measurement beam and receivesthe reflected beam from the reflection surface, thereby obtainingdisplacement amount information of substrate carrier 40 or 440 in theZ-axis direction at the irradiation point of the measurement beam. Notethat the type of Z head 78 z is not particularly limited, as far as Zhead 78 z can measure the displacement of substrate carrier 40 or 440(for more detail, X frame 42 x) in the Z-axis direction with apparatusmain body 18 (see FIG. 1) serving as a reference, with a desiredaccuracy (resolution) and in a noncontact manner.

Although the position information of each of substrate P and Y sliders76 within the XY plane is obtained by X encoder heads 78 x and Y encoderheads 78 y, Z-tilt displacement amount information of each of substrateP and Y sliders 76 may also be obtained together with the positioninformation of each of substrate P and Y sliders 76 within the XY plane,by using, for example, a two-dimensional encoder head (an XZ encoderhead or a YZ encoder head) that is capable of measuring displacementamount information in the Z-axis direction. In this case, Z-tiltposition measurement system 58 and Z sensor heads 78 z for obtaining theZ-tilt position information of substrate P can be omitted. Note that, inthis case, since two downward Z heads need to constantly face scaleplate 46 in order to obtain the Z-tilt position information of substrateP, it is preferable that scale plate 46 is configured of one long scaleplate with a length that is about the same as the length of X frame 42x, or for example, three or more of the two-dimensional encoder headsdescribed above are disposed at a predetermined spacing in the X-axisdirection.

Although, in each of the embodiments described above, a plurality ofscale plates 46 are disposed at a predetermined spacing in the X-axisdirection, this is not intended to be limiting, and for example, onelong scale plate formed with a length about the same as the length ofsubstrate carrier 40 or the like in the X-axis direction may be used. Inthis case, since the facing state between the scale plate and the headsis constantly maintained, each head unit 72 only has to have one each ofX head 78 x and Y head 78 y. The same can be said for scale plate 82. Inthe case where a plurality of scale plates 46 are provided, therespective lengths of the plurality of scale plates 46 may be differentfrom each other. For example, the length of a scale plate extending inthe X-axis direction is set longer than the length of a shot area in theX-axis direction, and thereby the position control of substrate P byhead unit 72 that is located across the different scale plates 46 can beavoided at the time of scanning exposure operations. Further (forexample, in the case of preparing four areas and the case of preparingsix areas), a scale disposed on one side of projection optical system 16and a scale disposed on the other side may have the respective lengthsdifferent from each other.

Further, although, in each of the embodiments described above, theposition measurement of substrate carrier 40 or the like within thehorizontal plane is performed using the encoder systems, this is notintended to be limiting, and for example, bar mirrors each extending inthe X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are attached to substratecarrier 40, and the position measurement of substrate carrier 40 or thelike may be performed by an interferometer system using the bar mirrors.Further, although, in the encoder systems in each of the embodimentsdescribed above, a configuration, in which substrate carrier 40 or thelike has scale plates 46 (diffraction gratings) and head units 72 havethe measurement heads, is employed, this not intended to be limiting,and substrate carrier 40 or the like may have the measurement heads andscale plates that are moved synchronously with the measurement heads maybe attached to apparatus main body 18 (the placement reversed to that ineach of the embodiments described above may be employed).

Further, although in each of the embodiments described above, noncontactholder 32 supports substrate P in a noncontact manner, this is notintended to be limiting as far as the relative movement betweensubstrate P and noncontact holder 32 in directions parallel to thehorizontal plane is not disturbed, and substrate P may be supported in acontact state via a rolling element such as, for example, a ball.

Third Embodiment

Next, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus related to a third embodimentwill be described using FIGS. 27 to 48. Only the differences from thefirst embodiment described above will be described below, and elementsthat have the same configurations and functions as those in the firstembodiment described above will be provided with the same referencesigns as those in the first embodiment described above, and thedescription thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 27, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus 1010 hasillumination system 12, mask stage 14, projection optical system 16, asubstrate stage device 1020, a substrate exchange device 1040, and acontrol system thereof and the like. Since illumination system 12, maskstage 14 and projection optical system 16 are the same as those in thefirst embodiment described above, the description thereof will beomitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 29b , substrate stage device 1020 is equippedwith a surface plate 1022, a substrate table 1024, an empty weightsupporting device 1026 and substrate holder 1028.

Surface plate 1022 is made up of, for example, a plate-like member witha rectangular shape in planar view (when viewed from the +Z side) thatis disposed so that the upper surface (+Z surface) of surface plate 1022is parallel to the XY plane, and is installed on floor F via a vibrationisolation device (not illustrated). Substrate table 1024 is made up of athin box-like member having a rectangular shape in planar view. Emptyweight supporting device 1026 is placed on surface plate 1022 in anoncontact state and supports the empty weight of substrate table 1024from below. Further, although not illustrated, substrate stage device1020 is equipped with: a substrate stage drive system that includes, forexample, a linear motor or the like and drives substrate table 1024 witha predetermined long stroke in the X-axis direction and the Y-axisdirection (along the XY plane), and finely drives substrate table 1024in the directions of six degrees of freedom (the X-axis, the Y-axis, theZ-axis, the θx, the θy and the θz); a substrate stage measurement systemincluding, for example, an optical interferometer system or the like,for obtaining position information of substrate table 1024 in theforegoing directions of six degrees of freedom; and the like.

Substrate holder 1028 is made up of a plate-like member with arectangular shape in planar view, and substrate P is placed on its uppersurface (the surface on the +Z side). As illustrated in FIG. 29a , theupper surface of substrate holder 1028 is formed into a rectangularshape with the X-axis direction serving as a longitudinal direction, andits aspect ratio is substantially the same as that of substrate P.However, the length of a long side and the length of a short side of theupper surface of substrate holder 1028 are set slightly shorter than thelength of alongside and the length of a short side of substrate P,respectively, and the end vicinity parts of the four sides of substrateP protrude outward from substrate holder 1028 in a state where substrateP is placed on the upper surface of substrate holder 1028. This isbecause there is a possibility that the resist coated on the surface ofsubstrate P adheres also on the back surface side of the end vicinityparts of substrate P and such the resist should be prevented fromadhering on substrate holder 1028.

The upper surface of substrate holder 1028 is finished to be extremelyflat across the entire surface. And, on the upper surface of substrateholder 1028, a plurality of minute hole sections (not illustrated) forair blowing out and/or vacuum suction are formed. Substrate holder 1028can perform flatness correction of the substantially entire surface ofsubstrate P following (according to) the upper surface of substrateholder 1028, by suctioning air between the upper surface and substrate Pvia the plurality of hole sections referred to above, using a vacuumsuction force supplied from a vacuum device (not illustrated). Further,substrate holder 1028 can move the back surface of substrate P apartfrom (levitate substrate P from) the upper surface of substrate holder1028 by exhausting (jetting) pressurized gas (e.g. air) supplied from apressurized gas supply device (not illustrate) to the back surface ofsubstrate P via the foregoing hole sections. Furthermore, it is possibleto optimize the grounded state of substrate P (e.g., to prevent airstagnation from being generated between the back surface of substrate Pand the upper surface of substrate holder 1028) by, for example, causingthe time difference in timing of exhausting pressurized gas, exchangingthe location of the hole section for performing vacuum suction and thehole section for exhausting the pressurized gas as needed, and changingthe air pressure between the suction and the exhaust as needed.

At the +X side end vicinity part of the upper surface of substrateholder 1028, for example, two cutouts 1028 a are formed, spaced apart inthe Y-axis direction. Further, at the −X side end vicinity part of theupper surface of substrate holder 1028, for example, two cutouts 1028 bare formed, spaced apart in the Y-axis direction.

To be more specific, cutout 1028 a is formed at the corner on the +Xside and the +Y side of substrate holder 1028, and at the corner on the+X side and the −Y side of substrate holder 1028, and cutouts 1028 a areopen toward the upper surface (the surface on the +Z side) and the sidesurface on the +X side and the side surface on the +Y side (or the −Yside) of substrate holder 1028. In contrast, cutouts 1028 b are openonly toward the upper surface and the side surface on the −X side ofsubstrate holder 1028.

As illustrated in FIG. 28, substrate exchange device 1040 has a beamunit 1050, a substrate carry-in device 1060, a substrate carry-outdevice 1070 and a substrate assist device 1080. Beam unit 1050,substrate carry-in device 1060 and substrate carry-out device 1070 areinstalled at predetermined positions on the +X side of substrate stagedevice 1020. Hereinafter, the explanation is given, referring to thelocation where beam unit 1050, substrate carry-in device 1060 andsubstrate carry-out device 1070, of substrate exchange device 1040, as aport section. For example, the delivery of substrate P between anexternal device such as a coater/developer and liquid crystal exposureapparatus 1010 is performed at the port section. Substrate carry-indevice 1060 is a device for carrying a new substrate P before exposurefrom the port section to substrate holder 1028. On the other hand,substrate carry-out device 1070 is a device for carrying a substrate Pthat has been exposed from substrate holder 1028 to the port section.

Further, the delivery between the external device (not illustrated) andliquid crystal exposure apparatus 1010 is performed by an externalcarrier device 1100 that is disposed external to a chamber (notillustrated) that accommodates illumination system 12, mask stage 14,projection optical system 16, substrate stage device 1020, substrateexchange device 1040 and the like that are described above. Externalcarrier device 1100 has a robot hand with a fork shape and can mountsubstrate P on the robot hand, and transport substrate P from theexternal device to the port section in liquid crystal exposure apparatus1010 and transport substrate P from the port section to the externaldevice.

As illustrated in FIG. 30a , beam unit 1050 has a plurality (e.g. six inthe present embodiment) of balance beams 1052 that are disposed at apredetermined spacing in the Y-axis direction. Balance beam 1052includes an elongated air bearing extending parallel to the X-axisdirection that serves as a carrying direction of substrate P at the timeof substrate exchange. The spacing between the plurality of balancebeams 1052 in the Y-axis direction is set so that substrate P can besupported from below with good balance using the plurality of balancebeams 1052, and as illustrated in FIGS. 32a and 32b , the plurality ofbalance beams 1052 do not overlap, in a vertical direction, with aplurality of finger sections that the fork hand of external carrierdevice 1100 has, when the fork hand is placed above beam unit 1050.

Referring back to FIG. 30a , the length in the longitudinal direction(the X-axis direction) of one balance beam 1052 is set slightly longerthan the length in the longitudinal direction of substrate P, and thelength in the width direction of one balance beam 1052 is set to, forexample, about 1/50 of the length in the width direction of substrate P,or set to, for example, about 10 to 50 times the thickness of substrateP.

As illustrated in FIG. 30b , each of the plurality of balance beams 1052(overlapping in the depth direction of the page surface in FIG. 30b ) issupported from below at a position on an inner side than the both endsin the X-axis direction, by a plurality (e.g. two) of bar-shaped legs1054 extending in the Z-axis direction. The plurality of legs 1054 thatsupport each balance beam 1052 have the lower end vicinity parts coupledto each other by a base plate 1056 (base plate 1056 is not illustratedin FIG. 30a ). In substrate exchange device 1040, the plurality ofbalance beams 1052 integrally move with a predetermined stroke in theX-axis direction by base plate 1056 being driven with a predeterminedstroke in the X-axis direction by an X actuator (not illustrated).Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the Z-positions of the upper surfaces(the air bearing surfaces) of the plurality of balance beams 1052 areset to substantially the same position (height) as the Z-position of theupper surface of substrate holder 1028.

Referring back to FIG. 30a , substrate carry-in device 1060 has a hand1062 with a fork shape (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate carry-inhand 1062), similar to that of external carrier device 1100 describedabove (see FIGS. 27 and 28). Substrate carry-in hand 1062 has aplurality (e.g. four in the present embodiment) of finger sections 1062a extending parallel to the X-axis direction that serves as the carryingdirection of substrate P when substrate P is carried in from the portsection to substrate holder 1028. The plurality of finger sections 1062a have the +X side end vicinity parts coupled to each other by acoupling member 1062 b. In contrast, the −X side ends (on the substrateholder 1028 (see the drawings such as FIG. 2) side) of the plurality offinger sections 1062 a are free ends, and a space between the adjacentfinger sections 1062 a is open toward the substrate holder 1028 side.Note that substrate carry-in hand 1062 may suppress substrate P fromhanging down between the adjacent finger sections 1062 a, by jetting airto between the adjacent finger sections 1062 a. The same can be said forthe robot hand of external carrier device 1100.

Finger sections 1062 a that substrate carry-in hand 1062 has are eachdisposed so that the positions of finger sections 1062 a do not overlapwith the positions of the plurality of balance beams 1052 in the Y-axisdirection in planar view, similarly to the robot hand of externalcarrier device 1100 described above (see FIG. 2). Further, a pluralityof supporting pads 1062 c for supporting the back surface of substrate Pare attached to the upper surface of each finger section 1062 a.Coupling member 1062 b is made up of a thin hollow member with arectangular shape in planar view, and extends in the Y-axis directionthat is a direction perpendicular to each finger section 1062 a (andbalance beams 1052 described above).

Each of both end vicinity parts of coupling member 1062 b in the Y-axisdirection is coupled to an X-axis drive device 1064 for drivingsubstrate carry-in hand 1062 in the X-axis direction. Note that a pairof X-axis drive devices 1064 may be driven independently from eachother, or may be mechanically coupled by a gear or a belt to besimultaneously driven by one drive motor. Further, although notillustrated, a pair of X-axis drive devices 1064 is vertically movableby a Z-axis drive device. Therefore, substrate carry-in hand 1062 can bemoved between a position higher (on the +Z side) than the upper surfaceof balance beams 1052 and a position lower (on the −Z side) than balancebeams 1052. Note that if substrate carry-in hand 1062 is structuredcapable of performing the vertical movement (±Z-axis direction) and thehorizontal motion in a substrate carry-in direction (movement toward the±X-axis direction), then for example, the placement of X-axis drivedevices 1064 and the Z-axis drive device may be a reversed placement(the Z-axis drive device is on X-axis drive devices 1064) to theforegoing placement.

Substrate carry-out device 1070 is disposed in the center part of theport section in the Y-axis direction. For example, three of the sixbalance beams 1052 described above are disposed on the +Y side ofsubstrate carry-out device 1070 and the other three are disposed on the−Y side of substrate carry-out device 1070. Further, for example, two ofthe four finger sections 1062 a of substrate carry-in hand 1062 equippedin substrate carry-in device 1060 are disposed on the +Y side ofsubstrate carry-out device 1070 and the other two are disposed on the −Yside of substrate carry-out device 1070. That is, substrate carry-outdevice 1070, the plurality of finger sections 1062 a equipped insubstrate carry-in hand 1062, and the plurality of balance beams 1052are disposed so that their positions do not overlap with each other inthe Y-axis direction.

Substrate carry-out device 1070 has, for example, one substratecarry-out hand 1072. As illustrated in FIG. 30b , substrate carry-outhand 1072 is attached to a Z-axis drive unit 1074, and Z-axis drive unit1074 is mounted on an X-axis drive unit 1076. Substrate carry-out hand1072 can absorb and grip (hold) substrate P using a vacuum suction forcesupplied from a vacuum device (not illustrated). Accordingly, substratecarry-out device 1070 can cause substrate carry-out hand 1072 to adsorband grip the lower surface of the +X side end vicinity part of substrateP from below, and to move in the X-axis direction. Referring back toFIG. 30a , the width (the Y-axis direction size) of substrate carry-outhand 1072 is set slightly wider than the width (the Y-axis directionsize) of one finger section 1062 a of substrate carry-in hand 1062, andset smaller than, for example, the spacing between the two in the centerof the six balance beams 1052.

The drive stroke of substrate carry-out hand 1072 by X-axis drive unit1076 is set longer than the length of substrate P in the X-axisdirection, and equal to or slightly shorter than the length of balancebeam 1052 in the X-axis direction. As illustrated in FIG. 30b , X-axisdrive unit 1076 is installed at a position that is below the pluralityof balance beams 1052 and does not disturb the movement of beam unit1050 (base plate 1056) in the X-axis direction.

Further, substrate carry-out device 1070 has an alignment pad 1078 thatis an alignment device. Alignment pad 1078 is attached to Z-axis driveunit 1074 via a fine driving unit 1079 (not illustrated in FIG. 30b ).Substrate carry-out hand 1072 and alignment pad 1078 are integrallymoved in the X-axis direction, whereas the drive controls thereof in theZ-axis direction can be performed independently. Fine driving unit 1079finely drives alignment pad 1078 in the Y-axis direction and the θzdirection. Similarly to substrate carry-out hand 1072 described above,alignment pad 1078 can also adsorb and grip (hold) the lower surface ofsubstrate P using a vacuum suction force supplied from a vacuum device(not illustrated). Accordingly, substrate carry-out device 1070 cancause alignment pad 1078 to adsorb and grip the lower surface of thecenter part of substrate P from below, to move with a long stroke (or afine stroke) in the X-axis direction, and to finely move in the Y-axisdirection and the θz direction.

Note that the configuration of substrate carry-out device 1070 can bechanged as needed. For example, a plurality of substrate carry-out hands1072 may be provided at a predetermined spacing in the Y-axis direction.Further, substrate carry-out hand 1072 and alignment pad 1078 may beattached to X-axis drive units 1076 that are independent. That is, forexample, an X drive unit for alignment pad 1078 may be disposed at thecenter part in the Y-axis direction of the port section, and another Xdrive unit for substrate carry-out hand 1072 may be disposed on bothsides (on the +Y side and the −Y side) of the X drive unit for alignmentpad 1078 so that the Y-positions of these X drive units do not overlapwith the Y-positions of the plurality of balance beams 1052. Further,the plurality of balance beams 1052 that beam unit 1050 has may beconfigured movable not only in the X-axis direction but also in theZ-axis direction. Accordingly, the height of the plurality of balancebeams 1052 can be changed in accordance with an operation at the time ofdelivering substrate P to/from external carrier device 1100 or anoperation at the time of delivering substrate P to/from substrate holder1028 (see FIG. 27)

Referring back to FIG. 27, substrate assist device 1080 is a device thatassists operations of substrate carry-in device 1060 and substratecarry-out device 1070, at the time of substrate exchange. Further,substrate assist device 1080 is also used for the positioning ofsubstrate P when substrate P is placed onto substrate holder 1028.

As illustrated in FIGS. 29a and 29b , substrate stage device 1020 hassubstrate assist device 1080. Substrate assist device 1080 is equippedwith a pair of substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a and a pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b. The pair of substratecarry-out bearer devices 1082 a assist (or aid) a carry-out operation ofsubstrate P by substrate carry-out device 1070 (see the drawings such asFIG. 27), and the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 bassist (or aid) a carry-in operation of substrate P by substratecarry-in device 1060 (see the drawings such as FIG. 27).

As illustrated in FIG. 29b , substrate carry-in bearer device 1082 b isequipped with a holding pad 1084 b, a Z actuator 1086 z and an Xactuator 1086 x. As illustrated in FIG. 29a , a part of holding pad 1084b of one substrate carry-in bearer device 1082 b (on the +Y side) isinserted in one cutout 1028 b (on the +Y side) of, for example, the twocutouts 1028 b. And, a part of holding pad 1084 b of the other substratecarry-in bearer device 1082 b (on the −Y side) is inserted in the othercutout 1028 b (on the −Y side).

Holding pad 1084 b is made up of a plate-like member with a rectangularshape in planar view, and is capable of adsorbing and holding the lowersurface of substrate P by a vacuum suction force supplied from a vacuumdevice (not illustrated).

As illustrated in FIG. 29b , holding pad 1084 b can be driven in theZ-axis direction by Z actuator 1086 z. Further, holding pad 1084 b and Zactuator 1086 z can be integrally driven in the X-axis direction by Xactuator 1086 x attached to substrate table 1024. Z actuator 1086 zincludes a support column that supports holding pad 1084 and the supportcolumn is disposed external to substrate holder 1028. Holding pad 1084 bis movable between a position in contact with the lower surface ofsubstrate P and a position spaced apart from the lower surface ofsubstrate P, by being driven within cutout 1028 b by Z actuator 1086 z.Further, holding pad 1084 b can be driven with a long stroke, by Zactuator 1086 z, between a position where a part of holding pad 1084 bis accommodated inside cutout 1028 b and a position higher than theupper surface of substrate holder 1028. In addition, holding pad 1084 bis movable in the X-axis direction by being driven integrally with Zactuator 1086 z by X actuator 1086 x.

The mechanical structure of substrate carry-out bearer device 1082 a isgenerally the same as that of substrate carry-in bearer device 1082 bdescribed above. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 29b , substratecarry-out bearer device 1082 a is equipped with a holding pad 1084 a apart of which is inserted in cutout 1028 a, a Z actuator 1086 z fordriving holding pad 1084 a in the Z-axis direction, and an X actuator1086 x for driving holding pad 1084 a in the X-axis direction. Note thata movable amount in the X-axis direction of holding pad 1084 a ofsubstrate carry-out bearer device 1082 a is set longer than a movableamount in the X-axis direction of holding pad 1084 b of substratecarry-in bearer device 1082 b. In contrast, a movable amount in theZ-axis direction of holding pad 1084 a of substrate carry-out bearerdevice 1082 a is set shorter than a movable amount in the Z-axisdirection of holding pad 1084 b of substrate carry-in bearer device 1082b.

Substrate assist device 1080 assists as follows at the time of carryingout substrate P (the exposed substrate) from substrate holder 1028.First of all, the respective holding pads 1084 a of the pair ofsubstrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a adsorb and hold, for example,two points of the +X side end vicinity part of substrate P on substrateholder 1028. Next, in a state of maintaining the holding by adsorptionof substrate P levitated and supported on substrate holder 1028, thepair of holding pads 1084 a are driven only with a predetermined stroke(e.g. about 50 mm to 100 mm) in the X-axis direction (toward the +Xdirection). With this driving of holding pads 1084 a, substrate P ismoved with a predetermined stroke in the X-axis direction relative tosubstrate holder 1028. Accordingly, the pair of substrate carry-outbearer devices 1082 a assist the carry-out operation of substrate P bysubstrate carry-out device 1070 described above (see the drawings suchas FIG. 27).

Although the derails will be described later, substrate assist device1080 also assist at the time of carrying in substrate P that is to beplaced onto substrate holder 1028. The outline of this assist isdescribed now referring to FIGS. 41 to 44 to be described later. Firstof all, the respective holding pads 1084 b of the pair of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b adsorb and hold, for example, two pointsof the −X side end vicinity part of a substrate P₂ supported onsubstrate carry-in hand 1062 (finger sections 1062 a) of substratecarry-in device 1060 (see FIG. 41). Next, when substrate carry-in hand1062 (finger sections 1062 a) is moved toward the +X direction and leavea position below substrate P2, the pair of holding pads 1084 b are movedonly with a predetermined stroke in the Z-axis direction (toward the −Zdirection) in a state of maintaining the holding by adsorption ofsubstrate P₂ (FIGS. 42 to 18). According to this movement of holdingpads 1084 b, substrate P2 is placed onto substrate holder 1028 (FIGS. 42to 18). Accordingly, the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082b assist the carry-in operation of substrate P by substrate carry-indevice 1060 described above (see the drawings such as FIG. 27).

Note that the configurations of substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082a and substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b can be changed as needed.For example, although each of bearer devices 1082 a and 1082 b isattached to substrate table 1024 in the present embodiment, this is notintended to be limiting, and for example, the bearer devices may beattached to substrate holder 1028 or an XY stage device (notillustrated) for driving substrate table 1024 within the XY plane.Further, the positions and the number of bearer devices 1082 a and 1082b are not limited to those of the present embodiment, and for example,the bearer devices may be attached to the side surface on the +Y sideand the side surface on the −Y side of substrate table 1024.

In liquid crystal exposure apparatus 1010 (see FIG. 27) configured asdescribed above, under the control of the main controller (notillustrated), mask M is loaded onto mask stage 14 by a mask loader (notillustrated) and also substrate P is loaded onto substrate holder 1028by substrate exchange device 1040. After that, the main controllerimplements alignment measurement using an alignment detection system(not illustrated), and after the alignment measurement is finished, theexposure operations of a step-and-scan method are sequentially performedwith respect to a plurality of shot areas set on substrate P. Since theexposure operations are similar to exposure operations of astep-and-scan method that have been conventionally performed, thedetailed description thereof will be omitted. Then, substrate P to whichthe exposure processing is finished is carried out from substrate holder1028 by substrate exchange device 1040 and another substrate P to beexposed next is carried to substrate holder 1028, and thereby theexchange of substrate P on substrate holder 1028 is performed, and theexposure operations and the like are continuously performed with respectto a plurality of substrates P.

The exchange operations of substrate P (for the sake of convenience, aplurality of substrates P are referred to as a substrate P₁, a substrateP₂ and a substrate P₃) on substrate holder 1028 in liquid crystalexposure apparatus 1010 will be described below using FIGS. 31a to 47b .The substrate exchange operations as described below are performed underthe control of the main controller (not illustrated). Note that in eachof side views used to explain the substrate exchange operations (thedrawings such as FIGS. 31b and 32b ), the illustration of balance beams1052, finger sections 1062 a of substrate carry-in hand 1062 and X-axisdrive devices 1064 (see FIG. 30a for each of them) that are located onthe further −Y side (the nearer side) than substrate carry-out device1070 is omitted, in order to facilitate the understanding of theoperations of substrate carry-out device 1070.

Further, in the description below, substrate P₁ that has been exposed isplaced in advance on substrate holder 1028 of substrate stage device1020, and the operations of carrying out the exposed substrate P₁ andthen placing a new substrate P₂ (different from the substrate P₁) ontosubstrate holder 1028 will be described. Furthermore, it is assumed thatbefore the substrate exchange operations, substrate carry-in hand 1062that substrate exchange device 1040 has and beam unit 1050 arepositioned so that the X-position of coupling member 1062 b and theX-positions of the plurality of balance beams 1052 do not overlap witheach other, as illustrated in FIGS. 30a and 30 b.

As illustrated in FIGS. 31a and 31b , when the new substrate P₂ istransported to the port section by external carrier device 1100 (seearrows in the respective drawings for the operations of respectiveelements. The same applies hereinafter), substrate exchange device 1040lowers (−Z drives) the substrate carry-in hand and positions the uppersurface of substrate carry-in hand 1062 lower than the lower surface ofthe plurality of balance beams 1052. On this operation, the Z-positionof the uppermost part of substrate carry-in hand 1062 including couplingmember 1062 b (the portion at the highest +Z position, e.g. the uppersurface of coupling member 1062 b) is set so that a spacing, whichallows the insertion of the robot hand of external carrier device 1100,is formed in the Z-axis direction between the upper surfaces of theplurality of balance beams 1052 and the uppermost part of substratecarry-in hand 1062.

Further, beam unit 1050 is driven toward the +X direction. On thisdriving, beam unit 1050 is stopped at a position where leg 1054 on the+X side does not come into contact with coupling member 1062 b ofsubstrate carry-in hand 1062. Accordingly, parts (the +X side endvicinity parts) of the plurality of balance beams 1052 are positionedabove (on the +Z side of) coupling member 1062 b of substrate carry-inhand 1062. This position serves as the substrate devilry positionbetween beam unit 1050 and external carrier device 1100.

Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 32a and 32b , the robot hand, on whichsubstrate P₂ is placed, of external carrier device 1100 is moved towardthe −X direction, and substrate P₂ is positioned in a space above (onthe +Z side of) the plurality of balance beams 1052. On this operation,the Y-position of the robot hand of external carrier device 1100 ispositioned so that each of the finger sections of the robot hand with afork shape that external carrier device 1100 has passes between (doesnot come into contact with) a pair of balance beams 1052 adjacent toeach other.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 33a and 33b , the robot hand ofexternal carrier device 1100 descends, thereby delivering substrate P₂onto the plurality of balance beams 1052. The Z-position of the robothand of external carrier device 1100 is controlled so that the robothand does not come into contact with substrate carry-in hand 1062standing by below balance beams 1052. On this operation, the +X side endvicinity part of substrate P₂ protrudes toward +X side further than the+X side ends of the plurality of balance beams 1052. After that, therobot hand of external carrier device 1100 is driven toward the +Xdirection, thereby being withdrawn from the port section (from theinside of the liquid crystal exposure apparatus).

Further, in substrate exchange device 1040, alignment pad 1078 ofsubstrate carry-out device 1070 is driven toward the −X direction belowsubstrate P₂, and positioned at a position facing the center part ofsubstrate P₂. In this state, alignment pad 1078 is driven upward (towardthe +Z direction) and adsorbs and grips the lower surface of substrateP₂ between the pair of balance beams 1052 in the center.

After that, as illustrated in FIGS. 34a and 34b , pressurized gas issupplied to each of the plurality of balance beams 1052 of beam unit1050, and the pressurized gas is jetted from the upper surface of eachof the plurality of balance beams 1052 toward the lower surface ofsubstrate P₂. Accordingly, substrate P₂ is levitated via a minute gap(e.g., of several tens micrometers to several hundreds micrometers) withrespect to the plurality of balance beams 1052.

Here, in substrate exchange device 1040, a pre-alignment operation isperformed on the plurality of balance beams 1052. The pre-alignmentoperation is performed, while the position of substrate P₂ is measuredin a noncontact manner by a substrate position measurement device (notillustrated) that is disposed, for example, in each of a space abovesubstrate P₂ and a space below substrate P₂. At the time of thepre-alignment operation, alignment pad 1078 that adsorbs and grips thecenter part of the lower surface of substrate P₂ is finely driven in theX-axis direction, the Y-axis direction and the θz direction (thedirections of three degrees of freedom within the horizontal plane).Since substrate P₂ is supported in a noncontact manner by the pluralityof balance beams 1052, the position correction (the fine positioning) ofsubstrate P₂ in the directions of three degrees of freedom within thehorizontal plane can be performed with low friction. Further, inparallel with this pre-alignment operation, alignment pad 1078 is driventoward the −X direction, and substrate P₂ is moved to the center part ofthe substrate placing surface formed by the plurality of balance beams1052.

After that, as illustrated in FIGS. 35a and 35b , the supply of thepressurized gas to the plurality of balance beams 1052 is stopped andalso the supply of the vacuum suction force to alignment pad 1078 isstopped. Further, alignment pad 1078 is driven downward so as to moveapart from the lower surface of substrate P₂. Accordingly, substrate P₂is placed onto the plurality of balance beams 1052. In this state, beamunit 1050 is driven toward the −X direction (toward the substrate stagedevice 1020 side). On this operation, substrate P₂ and the plurality ofbalance beams are positioned so that the +X side ends do not overlapwith coupling member 1062 b of substrate carry-in hand 1062 in theX-axis direction (do not overlap in the vertical direction).

In this state, as illustrated in FIGS. 36a and 36b , substrate carry-inhand 1062 is driven upward. Accordingly, substrate P₂ on the pluralityof balance beams 1052 is scooped out from below to above, by substratecarry-in hand 1062 (delivered to substrate carry-in hand 1062).

Further, in parallel with the foregoing delivery operation of substrateP₂ from external carrier device 1100 to substrate carry-in hand 1062 viabeam unit 1050 (including the pre-alignment operation), substrate table1024 is driven toward the +X direction so that substrate holder 1028 onwhich the exposed substrate P₁ is placed is located at a predeterminedsubstrate exchange position (a substrate delivery position) in substratestage device 1020. In the present embodiment, the substrate exchangeposition is a position on the −X side of the port section. Note that,although substrate holder 1028 is illustrated to be at the same positionin FIGS. 31a to 35b in order to facilitate the understanding, actuallythe exposure operation with respect to substrate P₁ is performed inparallel with the foregoing delivery operation of substrate P₂ fromexternal carrier device 1100 to substrate carry-in hand 1062, andsubstrate holder 1028 is being moved within the XY plane.

Further, in parallel with the movement operation of substrate holder1028 to the substrate exchange position, the respective holding pads1084 a of the pair of substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a disposedon the +X side of substrate holder 1028 are driven upward. Holding pads1084 a adsorb and grip, from the back surface, apart (portions placed oncutouts 1028 a (see FIGS. 29a and 29b )) of substrate P₁ held by vacuumadsorption on the upper surface of substrate holder 1028.

After that, as illustrated in FIGS. 37a and 37b , substrate carry-inhand 1062 supporting substrate P₂ from below is driven toward the −Xdirection. Accordingly, substrate P₂ is carried toward a space abovesubstrate holder 1028 positioned at the substrate exchange position.Further, in substrate exchange device 1040, beam unit 1050 is driventoward the −X direction (a direction for coming close to substrateholder 1028). Beam unit 1050 is stopped at a predetermined position sothat the −X side end of each of the plurality of balance beams 1052 andsubstrate holder 1028 do not come into contact with each other. As isdescribed above, the Z-position of the upper surface of each of theplurality of balance beams 1052 and the Z-position of the upper surfaceof substrate holder 1028 are set to be almost the same height. Note thatthese Z-positions may be adjusted to be almost the same height bydriving substrate holder 1028 in the Z-axis direction.

Further, in substrate stage device 1020, the pressurized gas is jettedfrom the upper surface of substrate holder 1028 to the lower surface ofsubstrate P₁. Accordingly, substrate P₁ is levitated from the uppersurface of substrate holder 1028, and the friction between the lowersurface of substrate P₁ and the upper surface of substrate holder 1028is reduced to the level that can be ignored (the low friction state).

Moreover, in substrate stage device 1020, holding pads 1084 a ofsubstrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a are slightly driven upwardtoward the +Z direction so as to follow the foregoing levitationoperation of substrate P₁, and are also driven with a predeterminedstroke toward the +X direction (toward the port section side) in a stateof adsorbing and gripping the part of substrate P₁. Although themovement amount of holding pads 1084 a (i.e. substrate P₁) also variesdepending on the size of substrate P₁, the movement amount is set to,for example, about 50 mm to 100 mm. Accordingly, the +X side endvicinity part of substrate P₁ protrudes (overhangs) from the +X side endof substrate holder 1028 toward the +X direction (toward the portsection side). Here, the foregoing portion of substrate P₁ protrudingfrom substrate holder 1028 is supported from below by the −X side endvicinity parts of the plurality of balance beams 1052, and therefore itis favorable that the pressurized gas is jetted beforehand also frombalance beams 1052 when causing substrate P₁ to overhang from substrateholder 1028.

As illustrated in FIGS. 38a and 38b , substrate carry-in hand 1062supporting substrate P₂ from below is stopped at a predeterminedposition in a space above substrate holder 1028. At this stop position,substrate P₂ is located almost directly above substrate holder 1028positioned at the substrate exchange position. Further, substrate stagedevice 1020 performs the positioning of substrate holder 1028 so thatthe Y-position of substrate P₁ and the Y-position of substrate P₂ almostcoincide with each other. In contrast, the X-position of substrate P₁and the X-position of substrate P₂ are different at the stop positiondescribed above by the quantity overhanging from substrate holder 1028of the +X side end vicinity part of substrate P₁, and the −X side end ofsubstrate P₂ protrudes toward the −X side further than the −X side endof substrate P₁.

In parallel with the positioning of substrate carry-in hand 1062,substrate carry-out hand 1072 is driven toward the −X direction and ispositioned below the portion of substrate P₁ overhanging from substrateholder 1028 toward the +X side, in substrate carry-out device 1070.Furthermore, in substrate stage device 1020, the respective holding pads1084 b of the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b aredriven upward with a predetermined stroke (e.g. about 50 mm to 100 mm).

As illustrated in FIGS. 39a and 39b , holding pads 1084 b of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b come into contact, from below, withsubstrate P₂ on substrate carry-in hand 1062 that stands by abovesubstrate holder 1028, and adsorb and hold the −X side end vicinity partof substrate P₂.

Further, in parallel with the adsorbing and holding operation ofsubstrate P₂ by holding pads 1084 b, in substrate carry-out device 1070,substrate carry-out hand 1072 is driven upward, and grips by vacuumadsorption the portion, overhanging from substrate holder 1028 towardthe +X side, of the exposed substrate P₁, from the back surface. And,when substrate carry-out hand 1072 adsorbs and grips substrate P₁, thesupply of the vacuum suction force to the respective holding pads 1084 aof the pair of substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a is stopped.Accordingly, the gripping by adsorption of substrate P₁ by holding pads1084 a is released. Holding pads 1084 a are driven downward so as tomove apart from the back surface of substrate P₁.

Note that, in the present embodiment, in order for substrate carry-outhand 1072 to adsorb and grip the center part of the +X side end vicinitypart of the exposed substrate P₂ from the back surface, substrate P₂ iscaused to overhang (be offset) from substrate holder 1028 usingsubstrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a, but this is not intended tobe limiting. Substrate carry-out hand 1072 may adsorb and grip substrateP₂ without causing substrate P₂ to be offset, by forming a cutout opentoward the +Z side and the +X side, at the +X side end vicinity part ofthe upper surface of substrate holder 1028, and by inserting substratecarry-out hand 1072 into the cutout.

After that, as illustrated in FIGS. 40a and 40b , substrate carry-outhand 1072 is driven toward the +X direction in a state of holdingsubstrate P₁. Accordingly, substrate P₁ is moved from substrate holder1028 onto beam unit 1050 (the plurality of balance beams 1052). On thisoperation, the pressurized gas is jetted from the upper surface of eachof the plurality of balance beams 1052. Accordingly, substrate P₁ islevitated and carried in a noncontact state on substrate holder 1028 andbeam unit 1050 (except for the portion held by substrate carry-out hand1072). Further, holding pads 1084 a of the pair of substrate carry-outbearer devices 1082 a are driven toward the −X direction so that therespective parts of holding pads 1084 a are accommodated in cutouts 1028a of substrate holder 1028 (see FIGS. 29a and 29b ).

Further, in parallel with the foregoing carry-out operation of substrateP₁ from substrate holder 1028 by substrate carry-out hand 1072,supporting pads 1062 c of substrate carry-in hand 1062 jet thepressurized gas to the lower surface of substrate P₂, in substratecarry-in device 1060. Accordingly, substrate P₂ comes into a levitated(or semi-levitated) state on substrate carry-in hand 1062.

FIGS. 41a and 41b show a state where substrate P₁ has been completelycarried out (delivered) from substrate holder 1028 onto beam unit 1050by substrate carry-out hand 1072. Here, even after substrate P₁ has beencarried out from substrate holder 1028, substrate holder 1028 continuesto jet the pressurized gas.

In parallel with this carry-out operation of substrate P₁, substratecarry-in hand 1062 is driven toward the +X direction at high speed andhigh acceleration (e.g. 1G or more) and is withdrawn from belowsubstrate P₂, in substrate carry-in device 1060. When substrate carry-inhand 1062 is withdrawn from below substrate P₂, substrate P₂ is leftabove substrate holder 1028 because the −X side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P₂ is adsorbed and gripped by a pair of holding pads 1084 b.

Here, since substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are disposed,spaced apart in the Y-axis direction and adsorb and hold the two points,spaced apart in the Y-axis direction, of the −X side end of substrate P,it can be said that the movement direction at the time of withdrawn ofsubstrate carry-in hand 1062 is a direction opposed to substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b. The “direction opposed to substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b” roughly means a direction on an oppositeside (which is the +X side in this case) to the end (on the −X side inthis case) of substrate P adsorbed and held by substrate carry-in bearerdevices 1082 b.

Then, as illustrated in FIGS. 42a and 42b , when substrate carry-in hand1062 has been completely withdrawn from below substrate P₂, substrate P₂starts free fall due to the gravity (the self-weight) except for theportions adsorbed and gripped by holding pads 1084 b. On this free-fall,sudden drop of substrate P₂ is hindered by air resistance between theback surface of substrate P₂ and the upper surface of substrate holder1028, and therefore, substrate P₂ falls onto substrate holder 1028slowly (with an acceleration smaller than the gravitationalacceleration). Further, in parallel with the falling operation ofsubstrate P₂, also the respective holding pads 1084 b of the pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b simultaneously descend (aremoved toward the −Z direction).

The means of lowering holding pads 1084 b is not particularly limited,and for example, position control in the Z-axis direction may beperformed using a drive device such as a motor, or burden control in theZ-axis direction (e.g., control that causes a force of raising holdingpads 1084 b (a force toward the +Z direction) against the gravity forceto be smaller than a downward force (a force toward the −Z direction)due to the self-weight of substrate P) may be performed using an aircylinder or the like. Further, holding pads 1084 b are caused to fallfreely together with substrate P₂, by releasing (nulling) a force towardthe +Z direction acting on holding pads 1084 b of substrate carry-inbearer devices 1082 b after adsorbing and gripping the back surface ofsubstrate P₂.

In parallel with the foregoing carry-in operation of substrate P₂ usingsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b, each of the plurality ofbalance beams 1052 stops the jet of the pressurized gas. Further,substrate carry-out device 1070 releases the holding by adsorption ofsubstrate P₁ with substrate carry-out hand 1072 (not illustrated in FIG.42a ), and also drives substrate carry-out hand 1072 downward to moveapart from the back surface of substrate P₁. Accordingly, substrate P₁is placed on the plurality of balance beams 1052. Also after deliveringsubstrate P₂ to substrate holder 1028, substrate carry-in hand 1062 isdriven toward the +X direction (the substrate carry-in hand may bedecelerated after being withdrawn from below substrate P₁).

Note that, on the foregoing carry-in operation (free fall) of substrateP₂ to substrate holder 1028, as illustrated in FIG. 48, a frame-shapedmember 1029 (or a control wall) that surrounds the outer periphery ofsubstrate holder 1028 and has the height position (the position in theZ-axis direction) set higher than the upper surface of substrate holder1028 may be disposed, thereby preventing air between substrate P₂ andsubstrate holder 1028 from easily escaping (thereby forming airstagnation) and adjusting the falling velocity of substrate P₂. Notethat the generation of the foregoing air stagnation may be positivelycontrolled by controlling the jet of the air from the upper surface ofsubstrate holder 1028 and the suction of the air.

FIGS. 43a and 43b show a state where the respective holding pads 1084 bof the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b descend, and theparts thereof are inserted in cutouts 1028 b (see FIG. 29a ) ofsubstrate holder 1028. Here, substrate P₂ (except for the portionsgripped by holding pads 1084 b) naturally falls due to the self-weightonto substrate holder 1028, but the pressurized gas is jetted from theupper surface of substrate holder 1028 and the back surface of substrateP₂ that has descended does not come into contact with the upper surfaceof substrate holder 1028 by the static pressure of the pressurized gas.Accordingly, a state where substrate P₂ is levitated above substrateholder 1028 via a minute gap is kept.

In this state, the position of substrate P₂ relative to substrate stagedevice 1020 (or substrate holder 1028) is measured by a substrateposition measurement device (not illustrated) provided at substratestage device 1020 (substrate holder 1028 or substrate table 1024) orprovided external to substrate stage device 1020. On the basis of themeasurement result, the respective holding pads 1084 b of the pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are independently driven in theX-axis direction. Accordingly, the position of substrate P₂ relative tosubstrate stage device 1020 (or substrate holder 1028) in the X-axisdirection and the θz direction is corrected.

In parallel with the foregoing position correction operation (the finealignment operation) of substrate P₂, beam unit 1050 on which substrateP₁ is placed is driven toward the +X direction and also alignment pad1078 of substrate carry-out device 1070 is driven toward the −Xdirection to be positioned at a position facing the center of substrateP₁, in the port section.

After that, as illustrated in FIGS. 44a and 44b , the jet of thepressurized gas from substrate holder 1028 is stopped and substrate P₂lands on (comes into contact with) the upper surface of substrate holder1028. In this manner, in the present embodiment, the accuratepositioning (the fine alignment) of substrate P₂ is performed in a lowfriction (levitated) state immediately before landing substrate P₂ onsubstrate holder 1028, and therefore, it is not necessary to take intoaccount the falling (landing) position and/or the attitude of substrateP₂ when substrate P₂ falls, and in addition, there is no risk that itbecomes necessary to perform the re-placement (re-loading) of substrateP₂ after the landing of substrate P₂.

Further, since the falling operation of substrate P₂ is tentativelystopped at a position in a space above substrate holder 1028 with aminute gap (e.g., of several tens micrometers to several hundredsmicrometers) formed between substrate P₂ and substrate holder 1028,local air stagnation is prevented from generating between substrate P₂and substrate holder 1028. Consequently, when causing substrate holder1028 to hold substrate P₂, the deformation of substrate P₂ can besuppressed. Note that, when substrate P₂ is placed onto substrate holder1028, the deformation of substrate P₂ may be suppressed by controllingthe location or the time of stopping the jet of the pressurized gas fromsubstrate holder 1028, and further by using together the vacuum suctionof substrate P₂ from substrate holder 1028.

Note that, in substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b, holding pads1084 b may be configured finely drivable in the Y-axis direction so thatthe positioning (the fine alignment) in the Y-axis direction ofsubstrate P₂, serving as a carry-in target, relative to substrate holder1028 can be performed. Further, in the present embodiment, holding pads1084 b are configured to be driven only in the X-direction within thehorizontal plane. However, actually, holding pads 1084 b are finelydisplaceable in the θz direction and the Y-axis direction relative tothe support column of Z actuator 1086 z (see FIG. 29b ) by an elasticdeformation or the like, though not illustrated, so that substrate P₂ isfinely rotatable in the θz direction.

In substrate stage device 1020, when substrate P₂ is placed ontosubstrate holder 1028, substrate holder 1028 adsorbs and holds substrateP₂ and moves to a predetermined exposure starting position. Thedescription of operations of substrate stage device 1020 at the time ofexposure operations with respect to substrate P₂ will be omitted.

Further, in parallel with the foregoing adsorbing and holding operationof substrate P₂ by substrate holder 1028, alignment pad 1078 is drivenupward, and adsorbs and grips the center part of the back surface ofsubstrate P₁ from below, in substrate carry-out device 1070. Further,when alignment pad 1078 adsorbs and grips substrate P₁, the pressurizedgas is jetted from each of the plurality of balance beams 1052, andaccordingly substrate P₁ is levitated on the plurality of balance beams1052. After that, substrate P₁ is moved to the substrate exchangeposition with respect to external carrier device 1100 by drivingalignment pad 1078 toward the +X direction. At this time, the positionwithin the horizontal plane (the position in the X-axis direction andthe Y-axis direction and the attitude in the θz direction) of substrateP₁ may be corrected by alignment pad 1078, at a predetermined location.

FIGS. 45a and 45b show a state where substrate P₁ is positioned at thesubstrate exchange position with respect to external carrier device1100. At the substrate exchange position, alignment pad 1078 ofsubstrate carry-out device 1070 releases the holding by adsorption ofsubstrate P₁, and is driven downward so as to move apart from substrateP₁.

After that, the robot hand of external carrier device 1100 is movedtoward the −X direction at the height position lower than the uppersurfaces of the plurality of balance beams 1052, and ascends to scoopout substrate P₁ from below, on the plurality of balance beams 1052. Theplurality of balance beams 1052 stop the jet of the pressurized gas.

As illustrated in FIGS. 46a and 46b , the robot hand of external carrierdevice 1100 holding the exposed substrate P₁ is moved toward the +Xdirection to leave the port section. In the port section, in order toavoid the contact with substrate carry-in hand 1062, beam unit 1050 (theplurality of balance beams 1052) is moved toward the −X direction, andthen substrate carry-in hand 1062 is driven downward.

After the exposed substrate P₁ is delivered to an external device (notillustrated) such as, for example, a coater/developer, the robot hand ofexternal carrier device 1100 holding substrate P₃ to be exposed next tosubstrate P₂ is moved toward the port section, as illustrated in FIGS.47a and 47b . Further, in the port section, substrate carry-in hand 1062is moved to a position lower than the plurality of balance beams 1052,and the plurality of balance beams 1052 are moved toward the +Xdirection and are positioned at the substrate receipt position forreceiving substrate P3 from the robot hand of external carrier device1100. Accordingly, the state returns to the initial state as shown inFIGS. 31a and 31 b.

According to the present embodiment described so far, substrate P iscarried in onto substrate stage device 1020 by causing substrate Pserving as a carry-in target to freely fall, and therefore the apparatusconfiguration is simple, compared to the case of using, for example, adevice (e.g. a lift pin device or the like) for receiving substrate Pfrom substrate carry-in device 1060. Further, since the operations ofmovable members at the time of substrate delivery operations fromsubstrate carry-in device 1060 to substrate holder 1028 are fewer, itbecomes possible to swiftly perform the carry-in of substrate P. Inaddition, since the dust generation can be suppressed, compared to thecase of, for example, using the lift pin device or the like, theadhesion of dust to substrate P can be suppressed.

Further, in substrate stage device 1020, a device such as, for example,the lift pin device used to receive substrate P from substrate carry-indevice 1060, or a hole section (or a recessed section) for accommodatinga member (such as a so-called substrate tray) on which substrate P isplaced at the time of carrying substrate P do not have to be formed atsubstrate holder 1028. Consequently, almost the entire surface of theupper surface of substrate holder 1028 can be flattened except forminute hole sections for jetting gas and suctioning gas. Accordingly,the flatness correction of substrate P placed on substrate holder 1028can be reliably performed, and the exposure accuracy is improved.Further, since the hole section or the recessed section does not have tobe formed on substrate holder 1028, the change in reflectivity and inreflection quantity of exposure beams caused by the hole section or therecessed section can be suppressed. Consequently, uneven transfer of themask pattern with respect to substrate P can be suppressed.

Further, when substrate P serving as a carry-in target is fallen freely,the position of substrate P within the horizontal plane is restrained bythe pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b provided separatelyfrom substrate carry-in device 1060 that supported substrate P at thetime of substrate carry-in, and therefore, the positional shift ofsubstrate P within the horizontal plane due to influence of airresistance at the time of free fall can be suppressed. Consequently,substrate P can be fallen onto substrate holder 1028 without fail.

Further, before substrate P is placed onto substrate holder 1028, thefree fall of substrate P is stopped once, and therefore, the generationof the so-called air stagnation between substrate P and substrate holder1028 and the deformation of substrate P caused by the air stagnation canbe suppressed when substrate holder 1028 is made to adsorb and holdsubstrate P. In addition, when substrate P is fallen onto substrateholder 1028, substrate holder 1028 functions like an air bearing, andtherefore the impact at the time of falling can be suppressed.

Further, before substrate P is placed onto substrate holder 1028, thepositioning of the substrate with respect to substrate holder 1028 isperformed by the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b, andtherefore, the possibility can be reduced that it becomes necessary(e.g., due to the shift of the placement position) to perform there-placement (re-loading) of substrate P once placed on substrate holder1028. Consequently, the carry-in operation speed of substrate P isimproved, and the overall throughput is improved.

Further, in recent years, the thickness and the weight of substrate Phave tended to be reduced. When substrate P is made thinner and lighterin weight, a downward force in the gravity direction acting on substrateP is decreased, and therefore, the impact applied when substrate P isfreely fallen by the self-weight and delivered to substrate holder 1028can be reduced. In this manner, substrate exchange device 1040 relatedto the present embodiment is particularly suitable for the exchange of alarge size substrate P that is made thinner and lighter in weight. Notethat, in the present embodiment, the sudden drop of substrate P issuppressed by air resistance acting on substrate P at the time offalling, and thus the impact applied when substrate P is placed ontosubstrate holder 1028 is suppressed, and therefore it is preferable thatthe upper surface of substrate holder 1028 has a lot of flat areas onwhich any recessed sections, hole sections and the like are not formed.

Note that the configuration of the third embodiment described above canbe changed as needed. For example, in the third embodiment describedabove, as illustrated in FIG. 29a , cutouts 28 a are formed on the +Xside of substrate holder 1028 and the parts of holding pads 1084 a ofsubstrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a are accommodated in cutouts1028 a. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and forexample, substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a may be omitted, andthe pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b disposed on the −Xside of substrate holder 1028 may assist the substrate carry-outoperation.

That is, in the exchange operations of substrate P on substrate holder1028 related to a present modified example, first of all, substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b grip substrate P and move substrate Ptoward the +X direction in a noncontact manner on substrate holder 1028,and causes substrate P to be offset (overhang) from substrate holder1028 (see FIGS. 37a and 37b ), then the jet of the pressurized gas fromsubstrate holder 1028 is stopped, and substrate P is placed ontosubstrate holder 1028 again. Substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 brelease the adsorption of substrate P and slightly descend, and areagain moved toward the −X direction, and then ascend high and adsorb andgrip a new substrate P, from below, that stands by in a space abovesubstrate holder 1028. In substrate carry-out device 1070, substratecarry-out hand 1072 adsorbs and grips the end vicinity part of substrateP, from below, placed and offset on substrate holder 1028 (see FIGS. 38aand 38b ). After that, the pressurized gas is jetted from substrateholder 1028 and balance beams 1052, and substrate P except for theportion gripped by substrate carry-out hand 1072 is carried out to theport section in a noncontact state. In this manner, according to thepresent modified example, since substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082a are omitted (an assist device for substrate carry-in and an assistdevice for substrate carry-out are made common), the structure becomessimple and the cost can be reduced.

Further, alignment pad 1078 may be capable of rotating substrate P inthe θz direction, for example, at a 90 degree angle. In this case, inthe port section, the orientation of substrate P can be changed (thelongitudinal direction can be parallel to the X-axis or the Y-axis)using alignment pad 1078, and therefore, for example, substrate P thatis carried, in a state where the longitudinal direction is parallel tothe X-axis (the laterally long state), from external carrier device1100, can be rotated at, for example, a 90 degree angle to come into astate where the longitudinal direction is parallel to the Y-axis (alongitudinally long state). Consequently, when substrate P is carriedinto substrate stage device 1020, carrying in substrate P in thelaterally long state or carrying in substrate P in the longitudinallylong state can be arbitrarily selected. Also, substrate P carried in thelongitudinally long state to the port section by external carrier device1100 can be rotated at, for example, a 90 degree angle to come into thelaterally long state in the port section. In this case, the fingersections of the robot hand of external carrier device 1100 can beshortened.

Further, in the third embodiment described above, the two pointsdisposed spaced apart in the Y-axis direction of substrate P are heldusing the respective holding pads 1084 b of the pair of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b disposed spaced apart in the Y-axisdirection, but the held points of substrate P are not limited theretoand, for example, one point of substrate P may be held by one holdingpad 1084 b. In this case, in order to secure the contact area betweenholding pad 1084 b and substrate P, the holding surface of holding pad1084 b should be formed into a shape extending in the Y-axis direction.

Further, although substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b areconfigured to restrain (hold) the −X direction side end of substrate Pin the third embodiment described above, the restrained (held) part isnot limited thereto. For example, substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082b may be configured to restrain (hold) the +Y direction side end and/orthe −Y direction side end of substrate P, or the corner between the −Xdirection side end and the +Y direction side end and/or the cornerbetween the −X direction side end and the −Y direction side end. Thepoint (the location) of substrate P restrained by substrate carry-inbearer devices 1082 b may be any one of the ends described above or thecorners described above, or any combination thereof, as far as the part(the location) can be set so as not to obstruct the operations ofsubstrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a, substrate carry-out device1070 and substrate carry-in device 1060.

Further, although the respective holding pads 1084 b of the pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are accommodated in thecorresponding cutouts 1028 b in the third embodiment described above,this is not intended to be limiting, and for example, holding pads 1084b may adsorb and hold a portion, sticking out from the end vicinity partof substrate holder 1028, of substrate P beforehand. In this case,cutouts 1028 b need not be formed at substrate holder 1028. Note that,since an area of the sticking-out portion referred to above is small,the holding surface of holding pad 1084 b should be formed into a shapeextending in the Y-axis direction in order to secure the contact areabetween holding pad 1084 b and substrate P. Further, when substrate P isplaced onto the upper surface of substrate holder 1028, holding pads1084 b may be inserted between the back surface of substrate P and theupper surface of substrate holder 1028, and then holding pads 1084 b maypulled out. In this case as well, cutouts 1028 b need not be formed atsubstrate holder 1028. On this operation, it is favorable that a part ofsubstrate P is adsorbed and held beforehand to prevent substrate P frombeing moved when holding pad 1084 b is pulled out.

Although in the third embodiment described above, substrate P serving asa carry-out target is made into an offset state (a state where a part ofsubstrate P protrudes from substrate holder 1028) by substrate carry-outbearer devices 1082 a, this is not intended to be limiting, andsubstrate holder 1028 may be tilted around the Y-axis to incline theupper surface of substrate holder 1028, and substrate P may be made intothe offset state by the self-weight. Further, substrate carry-out device1070 holds the offset end vicinity part of substrate P and carries outsubstrate P, but substrate carry-out device 1070 may adsorb and hold theportion sticking out from the end vicinity part of substrate holder 1028beforehand. Further, the operation of causing substrate P to be into theoffset state by substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a may beperformed in the midst of substrate holder 1028 moving toward thesubstrate exchange position (in parallel with the movement of substrateholder 1028).

Further, in the third embodiment described above, substrate carry-indevice 1060 carries substrate P using substrate carry-in hand 1062 thatsupports substrate P from below in the gravity direction. Theconfiguration of a carrier device for carry-in is not limited thereto,however, as far as the free fall of substrate P at the time of carriagecan be prevented, and substrate P may be carried while being supportedin a suspended manner from above in the gravity direction, for example,using a Bernoulli chuck known to public or the like. In this case, it ispossible to cause substrate P to fall due to the self-weight, byreleasing the support in a suspended manner of substrate P by theBernoulli chuck.

Note that, also in the case of using this Bernoulli chuck method, acertain carrier assist mechanism is needed that takes place of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b in the embodiment described above, inorder to restrain the position of substrate P within the XY plane in aspace above substrate holder 1028. As this carrier assist mechanism, forexample, a wall member for physically restricting the side surface ofsubstrate P may be configured on the periphery of the Bernoulli chuck.Alternatively, a mechanism that blows air for position restraint withinthe XY plane against the side surface of substrate P may be provided atthe Bernoulli chuck.

Further, in the operation sequences at the time of substrate exchange inthe third embodiment described above, the description has been madeassuming that after the driving of substrate carry-out hand 1072 towardthe +X direction (a carry-out operation of substrate P₁ from substrateholder 1028 by substrate carry-out hand 1072, which is referred to as a“pulling-out operation” of substrate carry-out hand 1072) is started,the driving of substrate carry-in hand 1062 toward the +X direction (awithdrawal operation from below substrate P₂ of substrate carry-in hand1062, in other words, a carry-in operation of substrate P₂ to substrateholder 28 by substrate carry-in hand 1062, which is referred to as“pulling-out operation” of substrate carry-in hand 1062) is started, asillustrated in FIGS. 40 to 42. However, the timing for these pulling-outoperations is not limited thereto. As far as the operation timing iscontrolled so that substrate P₂ that falls due to the self-weightentailed by the foregoing pulling-out operation of substrate carry-inhand 1062 does not come into contact with both hands 1062 and 1072 andsubstrate P₁, either one of the foregoing puling-out operation of hand1062 and the foregoing puling-out operation of hand 1072 may be startedfirst or the puling-out operations of both hands 1062 and 1072 may bestarted simultaneously.

Further, although in the third embodiment described above, substrateholder 1028 is configured to adsorb and hold substrate P, theconfiguration is not limited thereto, and for example, the substrateholder may hold substrate P in a noncontact state.

Further, although in the third embodiment described above, substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b for restraining the position of substrateP within the XY plane in a space above substrate holder 1028 areequipped in substrate holder 1028 (substrate stage device 1020), this isnot intended to be limiting, and for example, substrate carry-in device1060 may have substrate carry-in bearer devices 82 b. Alternatively,above the substrate exchange position, for example, substrate carry-inbearer devices 1082 b may be supported in a suspended manner by a framemember that configures a chamber for accommodating substrate stagedevice 1020 and the like.

Further, although in the third embodiment described above, after therobot hand of external carrier device 1100 delivers substrate P servingas a carry-in target to the port section, substrate carry-in device 1060carries substrate P to a space above substrate holder 1028. However,this is not intended to be limiting, and the robot hand of externalcarrier device 1100 carries substrate P serving as a carry-in target toa space above substrate holder 1028 and delivers substrate P directly tosubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b.

Fourth Embodiment

Next, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus related to a fourth embodimentwill be described using FIGS. 49 to 56. In the present fourthembodiment, in the exchange operations of substrates in a liquid crystalexposure apparatus having a substrate stage device with a configurationsimilar to substrate stage device 20 (see the drawings such as FIG. 2)related to the first embodiment described above, a substrate exchangedevice with a configuration similar to substrate exchange device 1040(see the drawings such as FIG. 27) in the third embodiment describedabove is used. In the description below of the present fourthembodiment, elements that have the same configurations and functions asthose in the first embodiment or the third embodiment described abovewill be provided with the same reference signs as those in the firstembodiment or the third embodiment described above, and the descriptionthereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIGS. 49a and 49b , substrate stage device 20 isequipped with coarse movement stage 24, weight cancelling device 26, Xguide bar 28, substrate table 30, noncontact holder 32, a pair ofauxiliary tables 34, a substrate carrier 40 and the like (refer to thefirst embodiment described above for the details of each element).Substrate carrier 40 adsorbs and holds the four corner vicinity parts ofsubstrate P₁ supported in a noncontact manner by noncontact holder 32.

Further, substrate exchange device 1040 has beam unit 1050, substratecarry-in device 1060, substrate carry-out device 1070 (alignment pad1078 is omitted) and substrate assist device 1080 (refer to the thirdembodiment described above for the details of each element). SubstrateP₂ to be exposed next to substrate P₁ is placed on the robot hand ofexternal carrier device 1100. Of a pair of Y frames 42 y configuringsubstrate carrier 40, the Z-position of Y frame 42 y on the +X side isdisposed at a position lower than the Z-position of the lower surface ofsubstrate P₁ (see the drawings such as FIG. 3).

Although, in substrate stage device 20 of the present fourth embodiment,a pair of substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a and a pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b that configure substrate assistdevice 1080 are attached to coarse movement stage 24 (the same referencesigns are used for the sake of convenience), the pair of substratecarry-out bearer devices 1082 a and the pair of substrate carry-inbearer devices 1082 b may be attached to substrate table 30 (ornoncontact holder 32), similarly to the third embodiment describedabove.

The exchange operations of substrate P in the present fourth embodimentare generally the same as those in the third embodiment described above.The exchange operations will be briefly described below. In FIGS. 50aand 50b , the robot hand of external carrier device 1100 carriessubstrate P₂ to above beam unit 1050 of the port section. Subsequently,as illustrated in FIGS. 51a and 51b , the robot hand of external carrierdevice 1100 places (delivers) substrate P₂ to beam unit 1050.Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 52a and 52b , after beam unit 1050supporting substrate P₂ is moved toward the −X direction, substratecarry-in hand 1062 of substrate carry-in device 1060 ascends, and scoopsout P₂ on beam unit 1050. Further, in parallel with this operation, insubstrate stage device 20, substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 amove the exposed substrate P₁ (cause the exposed substrate P₁ to beoffset), by a predetermined amount toward the +X direction with respectto noncontact holder 32.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 53a and 53b , substrate carry-inhand 1062 holding substrate P₂ starts to move toward a space above thesubstrate exchange position (toward the −X direction). In parallel withthis operation, in substrate carry-out device 1070, substrate carry-outhand 1072 is moved toward the −X direction, and also in the substratestage device 20, noncontact holder 32, substrate carrier 40 and the likeare moved toward substrate exchange position (toward the +X direction).Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 54a and 54b , substrate carry-inhand 1062 is stopped in a space above the substrate exchange position.Then, in substrate stage device 20, substrate carry-in bearer devices1082 b perform an ascending operation. Further, in parallel with each ofthe foregoing operations, in substrate carry-out device 1070, substratecarry-out hand 1072 grips (adsorbs and holds) the +X side end vicinitypart of substrate P₁, from below, that is offset with respect tononcontact holder 32.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 55a and 55b , substrate carry-outhand 1072 is moved toward the +X direction and pulls out the exposedsubstrate P₁ toward the port section. Further, substrate carry-in bearerdevices 1082 b grip (adsorb and hold) the −X side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P₂, from below, on substrate carry-in hand 1062. Whensubstrate P₂ is held by substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b,substrate carry-in hand 1062 is withdrawn toward the +X directionleaving substrate P₂ in a space above noncontact holder 32. In otherwords, when substrate P₂ is held by substrate carry-in bearer devices1082 b, substrate carry-in hand 1062 releases the holding of substrateP₂.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 56a and 56b , substrate carry-outhand 1072 releases the exposed substrate P₁ and descends. Further,substrate carry-in hand 1062 has been completely withdrawn from a spaceabove substrate stage device 20. In parallel with each of the foregoingoperations, substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are lowered in astate of holding the new substrate P₂, and then correct (performpre-alignment of) the position of the substrate P₂ and give thesubstrate P₂ to adsorption pads 44 (see FIG. 3) of substrate carrier 40.Substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b may descend while holding thesubstrate P₂, thereby causing substrate P₂ to be supported by noncontactholder 32, and correcting (performing pre-alignment of) the position ofthe substrate P₂ in this state, and then may give the substrate P₂ toadsorption pads 44 (see FIG. 3) of substrate carrier 40.

Here, as illustrated in FIGS. 87a and 87b , the Z-positions of holdingpads 1084 b are set in advance so that substrate P is delivered fromholding pads 1084 b to adsorption pads 44 within a range where substrateP can be levitated from noncontact holder 32 (can be spaced apart fromthe upper surface of noncontact holder 32) in the Z-axis direction.Substrate P may be delivered from holding pads 1084 b to adsorption pads44 in a state where substrate P is levitated in the Z-axis direction byair supplied from noncontact holder 32, or the delivery of substrate Pmay be performed in a state where substrate P is levitated abovenoncontact holder 32 not by air supplied from noncontact holder 32, butby air intervening between the lower surface of substrate P and theupper surface of noncontact holder 32, i.e., by air stagnation. Notethat substrate P only has to be levitated, and therefore in the case oflevitating substrate P by the air stagnation, an adsorption type holdermay be used, not noncontact holder 32. Note that the levitation ofsubstrate P above noncontact holder 32 by air intervening between thelower surface of substrate P and the upper surface of noncontact holder32, which is the so-called air stagnation, is applicable not only to thepresent embodiment but also to all the embodiments including thosedescribed earlier and to be described later. In the present embodiment,since a configuration, in which substrate P is delivered from holdingpads 1084 b to adsorption pads 44 by holding pads 1084 b being lowered,is employed, the upper surfaces of holding pads 1084 b are disposed onthe further +Z side than the upper surface of noncontact holder 32.Accordingly, when holding pads 1084 b holding substrate P are movedtoward the −Z direction, the lower surface of substrate P comes intocontact with adsorption pads 44, and a member to support substrate Pfrom below is automatically switched from holding pads 1084 b toadsorption pads 44 while maintaining the levitated state of substrate Pfrom noncontact holder 32. In order to deliver substrate P from holdingpads 1084 b to adsorption pads 44, the points of substrate P held byadsorption pads 44 and the points of substrate P held by holding pads1084 b are different from each other. Note that holding pads 1084 bholding substrate P may stop suctioning air at the lower surface ofsubstrate P in order to release the adsorption of substrate P byadsorption pads 44, when delivering substrate P to adsorption pads 44.Moreover, the adsorption of substrate P by holding pads 1084 b may bepositively released by supplying air to the lower surface of substrate Pfrom holding pads 1084 b. Further, a little before the lower surface ofsubstrate P comes into contact with adsorption pads 44, namely, beforesubstrate P is delivered from holding pads 1084 b to adsorption pads 44,air may be supplied from adsorption pads 44 to the lower surface ofsubstrate P thereby to cushion the impact when the adsorption pads 44and substrate P come into contact with each other, so that the breakageof substrate P may be suppressed.

Note that the operations performed when holding pads 1084 b of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b deliver substrate P to adsorption pads 44of substrate carrier 40 are not limited to those described above. Thatis, since the foregoing delivery of substrate P can be performed byholding pads 1084 b and adsorption pads 44 being relatively moved in theZ-axis direction, adsorption pads 44 of substrate carrier 40 (thereceiving substrate P side) may be moved in the Z-axis direction toreceive substrate P from holding pads 1084 b of substrate carry-inbearer devices 1082 b (the delivering substrate P side). In this case,holding pads 1084 b may be static or adsorption pads 44 and holding pads1084 b may be moved together in the Z-axis direction (holding pads 1084b may descend and adsorption pads 44 may ascend). In other words, if themovable range of holding pads 1084 b and the movable range of adsorptionpads 44 in the Z-axis direction are arranged to overlap with each otherat least partially, then the delivery of substrate P between holdingpads 1084 b and adsorption pads 44 is possible. Further, although aholding state is changed from a state where one of holding pads 1084 band adsorption pads 44 holds substrate P to a state where the other ofholding pads 1084 b and adsorption pads 44 holds substrate P, via astate where both of them hold substrate P, this is not intended to belimiting. The holding state may be changed from a state where one ofholding pads 1084 b and adsorption pads 44 holds substrate P to a statewhere the other holds substrate P, via a state where none of them holdsthe substrate. This is possible because, substrate P is not broken bycolliding with noncontact holder 32 owing to air supplied fromnoncontact holder 32 or the air stagnation at the lower surface ofsubstrate P, even if substrate P is not supported by any one of holdingpads 1084 b and adsorption pads 44. However, in the case where substrateP is not supported by any one of holding pads 1084 b and adsorption pads44, nothing sets the position of substrate P that is levitated, andtherefore the position of substrate P should be corrected (pre-alignmentof the position should be performed) more carefully.

Also with the fourth embodiment described so far, the effect similar tothe third embodiment described above can be obtained. Note that, asillustrated in FIGS. 57a and 57b , in substrate stage device 20,substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b may be attached to substratecarrier 40 and substrate carrier 40 may hold substrate P by suchsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b (the adsorption pads may bemade common). In this case, the two adsorption pads 44 (see FIG. 3) onthe −X side attached to substrate carrier 40 can be omitted. Further,although not illustrated, substrate carry-out bearer devices 1082 a maysimilarly be attached to substrate carrier 40. In this case, the twoadsorption pads 44 on the +X side attached to substrate carrier 40 canalso be omitted. In this case, substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 bare relatively driven upward with respect to substrate carrier 40, andgrip (adsorb and hold) the −X side end vicinity part of substrate P₂,from below, on substrate carry-in hand 1062, and substrate carry-in hand1062 is withdrawn from below substrate P₂, and then substrate P₂ isdriven downward to be placed onto the noncontact holder, by substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b.

Fifth Embodiment

Next, a fifth embodiment will be described using FIGS. 58 to 64.Compared to the fourth embodiment described above, the present fifthembodiment is different in a part of the configuration of a substratestage device and a part of the configuration of a substrate exchangedevice. In the description below of the present fifth embodiment,elements that have the similar configurations and functions to those inthe fourth embodiment described above will be provided with the samereference signs as those in the fourth embodiment described above, andthe description thereof will be omitted.

A substrate carrier 2040 that a substrate stage device 2020 related tothe present fifth embodiment is different from the fourth embodimentdescribed above in that substrate carrier 2040 is formed into a U-likeshape open toward the +Y side, and in that adsorption pads 2044 toadsorb and hold substrate P are attached to a pair of Y frames 42 y.And, similarly to substrate stage device 220 as illustrated in FIGS. 13aand 13b , substrate carrier 2040 is supported from below by airlevitation units 238. X frame 42X on the −Y side of substrate P isattached to a position higher than substrate P. Further, a pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are disposed at a predeterminedspacing in the X-axis direction so as to be capable of holding the +Xside end vicinity part and the −X side end vicinity part of substrate P,respectively. The pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b areattached to a coarse movement stage (not illustrated). The operationsper se of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are similar to thosein the fourth embodiment described above.

Here, while substrate carrier 40 is moved relative to noncontact holder32, air levitation units 36 and air levitation units 238 within thehorizontal plane, substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are disposedoutside the movement trajectory of substrate carrier 40 holdingsubstrate P (and substrate P). Specifically, the pair of substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b are disposed spaced apart in the X-axisdirection, and each of them is disposed between air levitation unit 36and air levitation unit 238. Holding pads 1084 b (see FIG. 29b ) thatsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b have are movable in the Z-axisdirection, and therefore, when substrate carrier 40 is moved relative tononcontact holder 32 and the like within the horizontal plane, holdingpads 1084 b are controlled to be moved toward the −Z direction andwithdrawn to outside the movement trajectory of substrate carrier 40(and substrate P).

In substrate exchange device 1040, a beam unit 2050A and a substratecarry-out device 2070A disposed at the port section (on the +X side ofthe substrate exchange position) are movable in the X-axis direction andthe Y-axis direction by a drive device 2098 (the illustration is omittedin FIGS. 59 to 64). Further, substrate exchange device 1040 also has abeam unit 2050B and a substrate carry-out device 2070B on the −Y side ofthe substrate exchange position. The configurations of beam units 2050Aand 2050B and the configurations of substrate carry-out device 2070A and2070B are roughly the same as those of beam unit 2050 and substratecarry-out device 2070 (see the drawings such as FIGS. 30a and 30b ) ofthe fourth embodiment described above, respectively.

Next, the substrate exchange operations related to the present fifthembodiment will be described. In FIG. 59, noncontact holder 32 islocated at the substrate exchange position. In this state, substratecarrier 2040 is driven toward the −Y side, and thereby the −Y side halfarea of substrate P₁ that has been exposed is supported from below byauxiliary table 34 on the −Y side. In parallel with this operation, asubstrate carry-in hand 2062 carries substrate P₂ to the port section.Substrate carry-in hand 2062 scoops out, from below, substrate P₂carried to the port section by a robot hand (not illustrated) of anexternal carrier device.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 60, substrate carry-in hand 2062carries substrate P₂ toward a space above noncontact holder 32. Inparallel therewith, a substrate carry-out hand 2072B of substratecarry-out device 2070B grips the −Y side end vicinity part of substrateP₁, and in such a state, is moved toward the −Y direction. Further, inparallel with the movement of substrate carry-out hand 2072B (substrateP₁), substrate carrier 2040 is moved toward the +Y direction (in adirection opposite to substrate P₁). Furthermore, in parallel with eachof the above operations, beam unit 2050A and substrate carry-out device2070A are integrally moved toward the −Y direction.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 61, substrate carry-in bearerdevices 1082 b are driven upward, and adsorb and hold two points of the+Y side end vicinity part of substrate P₂ on substrate carry-in hand2062. Substrate carrier 2040 is restored to a normal position (aposition where substrate carrier 2040 can hold substrate P on noncontactholder 32), and in this state, substrate carrier 2040 and substrate P₁do not overlap with each other in positions within the XY plane.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 62, substrate carry-in hand 2062 iswithdrawn from a space above noncontact holder 32 toward the +Xdirection at high speed and high acceleration. Since substrate P₂ isadsorbed and held by substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b, substrateP₂ is left in a space above noncontact holder 32. In parallel with theforegoing operation, beam unit 2050A and substrate carry-out device2070A are moved toward the −X direction. As illustrated in FIG. 65, theheight positions of beam unit 2050A and substrate carry-out device 2070Aare set so that they pass through a space above air levitation unit 238on the +X side (they do not come into contact with air levitation unit238). Referring back to FIG. 62, in substrate carry-out device 2070A,substrate carry-out hand 2072A is moved toward the −X direction.

Here, the acceleration of substrate carry-in hand 2062 at the time ofwithdrawal is set to an acceleration higher than the descendingacceleration (not more than 1 G) of substrate P, e.g., to anacceleration of about 3 G.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 63, substrate carry-out hand 2072Agrips the exposed substrate P₁ and is moved toward the +X direction. Theheight position of the upper surfaces of beam units 2050A and 2050B areset to be roughly the same (see FIG. 65), and substrate P₁ is movedalong a flat surface (a guide surface) formed by beam units 2050A and2050B. When substrate P₁ is supported by beam unit 2050A, beam unit2050A and substrate carry-out device 2070A are moved toward the +Xdirection. In parallel with each of the foregoing operations, substratecarry-in bearer devices 1082 b descends in a state of gripping (holding)substrate P₂, in substrate stage device 2020.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 64, beam unit 2050A and substratecarry-out device 2070A holding substrate P₁ are moved toward the +Ydirection. Note that beam unit 2050A and substrate carry-out device2070A may continue to be moved toward the +X direction and carry outsubstrate P₁ toward an external device. In parallel with the foregoingoperation, substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b deliver substrate P₂to adsorption pads 2044 of substrate carrier 2040, and noncontact holder32 supports substrate P₂ from below in a noncontact manner, in substratestage device 2020. In this state, substrate carrier 2040 and noncontactholder 32 are moved to a predetermined exposure starting position.

Also with the fifth embodiment described so far, the effect similar tothat of the third embodiment described above can be obtained. Further,since substrate P₁ and substrate carrier 2040 are moved in directionsopposite to each other at the time of carry-out operation of substrateP₁, the carry-out operation of substrate P₁ can be performed swiftly.

Note that, in the fifth embodiment described above, a configuration isemployed, in which substrate P (P₁) serving as a carry-in target iscarried in by being moved from the +X side toward the −X side (towardthe −X direction), and substrate P (P₂) serving as a carry-out target iscarried out from the same place as the carry-in, by being shifted andmoved toward the −Y direction and then moved toward the +X direction andtoward the +Y direction. However, this is not intended to be limiting,and for example, substrate P may be carried in from the +X side towardthe −X side (toward the −X direction) and also may be carried out towardthe −Y direction, or alternatively substrate P may be carried in fromthe −Y side toward the +Y side (toward the +Y direction) and also may becarried out toward the −Y direction. Further, although the timing whensubstrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b descends while gripping a newsubstrate P (substrate P₂) is substantially the same as the timing whensubstrate carrier 2040 returns toward the +Y direction, either one ofthem may be performed earlier than the other. However, in the case ofperforming the descending of substrate P earlier, it is necessary toprevent adsorption pads 2044 and substrate P from coming into contactwith each other when substrate carrier 2040 returns to a normalposition.

Sixth Embodiment

Next, a sixth embodiment will be described using FIGS. 66a to 70b . Inthe present sixth embodiment, in the exchange operations of substrates Pin a liquid crystal exposure apparatus having a substrate stage devicewith a configuration similar to substrate stage device 520 (see thedrawings such as FIG. 21) related to the modified example of the secondembodiment described above, a substrate carry-in bearer device is usedthat has a configuration similar to substrate carry-in bearer device1082 b (see the drawings such as FIGS. 29a and 29b ) in the thirdembodiment described above. In the description below of the presentsixth embodiment, elements that have the similar configurations andfunctions to those in the second embodiment or the third embodimentdescribed above will be provided with the same reference signs as thosein the second embodiment or the third embodiment described above, andthe description thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIGS. 66a and 66b , a substrate stage device 3520 hasa substrate carrier 3540 that is formed into a U-like shape open towardthe −X side in planar view. Substrate carrier 3540 holds the endvicinity part of substrate P supported by noncontact holder 32. Thepresent sixth embodiment is the same as the modified example of thesecond embodiment described above in that substrate P is moved in anoncontact manner on a guide surface formed by noncontact holder 32 anda plurality of air levitation units 436 when substrate carrier 3540 ismoved in the X-axis direction at the time of scan exposure operations.Drive systems of noncontact holder 32, the plurality of air levitationunits 436, substrate carrier 3540 and the like are the same as those inthe modified example of the second embodiment described above (see thedrawings such as FIGS. 21 to 25 b), and therefore the descriptionthereof will be omitted.

Substrate stage device 3520 has substrate carry-in bearer devices 3082 band a substrate carry-out bearer device 3082 a. The position within theXY-plane of each of bearer devices 3082 a and 3082 b relative tononcontact holder 32 is fixed (holding pads are movable relative tononcontact holder 32 only in the Z-axis direction). Substrate carry-inbearer devices 3082 b are disposed at a position where substratecarry-in bearer device 3082 b can hold the −X side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P, and substrate carry-out bearer device 3082 a is disposed inauxiliary table 534 on the +X side.

The substrate exchange operations in substrate stage device 3520 will bedescribed below. When the exposure operations are finished, substratecarrier 3540 is moved toward the +X direction in a state of holdingsubstrate P₁ so that substrate P₁ that has been exposed is supported bya plurality of air levitation units 436 on the +X side, as illustratedin FIGS. 67a and 67 b.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 68a and 68b , a substrate carry-inhand 3062 (not illustrated in FIG. 68a ) holding a new substrate P₂enters a space above noncontact holder 32. Further, substrate carry-outbearer device 3082 a ascends, and adsorbs and grips the exposedsubstrate P₁, from below, held by substrate carrier 3540. Furthermore,in parallel with each of the foregoing operations, substrate carry-inbearer devices 3082 b start to ascend.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 69a and 69b , substrate carry-inbearer devices 3082 b ascend, and adsorb and hold the −X side endvicinity part of substrate P₂. In this state, substrate carry-in hand3062 is moved at high speed toward the +X direction, and withdrawn frombelow substrate P₂. In parallel with each of the foregoing operations,substrate carrier 3540 releases the holding by adsorption of substrateP₁, and then is moved toward the −X direction.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 70a and 70b , substrate carry-inbearer devices 3082 b descend in a state of gripping substrate P₂.Further, substrate carrier 3540 is moved toward the −X direction to berestored to a normal position. Substrate carry-in bearer devices 3082 bperform rough alignment by finely driving substrate P₂ relative tononcontact holder 32 in the directions of three degrees of freedomwithin the horizontal plane, and then deliver substrate P₂ to adsorptionpads 44 of substrate carrier 3540.

Also with the sixth embodiment described so far, the effect similar tothe third embodiment described above can be obtained. Further, aconfiguration is employed, in which the exposed substrate P₁ is moved toa position (on auxiliary table 534 on the +X side) that is completelywithdrawn from a space above noncontact holder 32 and only substratecarrier 3540 returns to a normal position (on noncontact holder 32)leaving the exposed substrate P₁ at such a position, and thereforesubstrate carry-out bearer device 3082 a is to perform only the verticalmovement and its configuration is simple. Note that this is not intendedto be limiting, and in a similar manner to the fifth embodimentdescribed above, a carry-out device (substrate carry-out bearer device3082 a may be configured drivable in the X-direction, and such substratecarry-out bearer device 3082 a may be used) having a configurationsimilar to substrate carry-out hand 2072B (see FIG. 61) may be caused togrip the exposed substrate P₁ at a position where about a half of theexposed substrate P₁ is supported by noncontact holder 32 (theoverlapping position), and, at the same time as substrate carrier 3540returning (being moved toward the −X direction), the exposed substrateP₁ may be moved toward a direction (toward the +X direction) reversed tosubstrate carrier 3540. In this case, the length of auxiliary table 534on the +X side can be shortened, and also the time for withdrawingsubstrate P₁ from substrate carrier 3540 can be halved, which decreasesthe substrate exchange time.

Further, the carry-in timing of substrate P₂ may be any timing as longas the exposed substrate P₁ no longer exists on noncontact holder 32,but in the case of placing substrate P₂ onto noncontact holder 32earlier than substrate carrier 3540, it is necessary to preventadsorption pads 44 of substrate carrier 3540 and the new substrate P₂from coming into contact with each other in the midway of substratecarrier 3540 returning. Further, the carry-in direction of substrate P₂and the carry-out direction of substrate P₁ may be any directions.

Seventh Embodiment

Next, a seventh embodiment will be described using FIGS. 71 to 75C. Inthe present seventh embodiment, in a liquid crystal exposure apparatushaving a substrate stage device with a configuration similar tosubstrate stage device 1020 (see the drawings such as FIG. 27) relatedto the third embodiment described above, the configuration and theoperations of a substrate carry-in bearer device are different fromthose in the third embodiment described above. In the description belowof the present seventh embodiment, elements that have the similarconfigurations and functions to those in the third embodiment describedabove will be provided with the same reference signs as those in thethird embodiment described above, and the description thereof will beomitted.

In FIG. 71, a substrate carry-in bearer device 4082 related to theseventh embodiment is illustrated with a part thereof omitted. Whilesubstrate carry-in bearer device 4082 related to the present seventhembodiment is a device for performing operations similar to those ofsubstrate carry-in bearer device 1082 b (see FIG. 29b ) related to thethird embodiment described above, improvement in the adsorption force ofsubstrate P and improvement in the rigidity at the time of pre-alignmentoperation (in the X-axis direction and the θz direction) of substrate Pare intended.

Although substrate carry-in bearer device 1082 b (see FIG. 29b ) relatedto the third embodiment described above has a configuration in whichholding pads 1084 b are inserted into cutouts 1028 b formed at substrateholder 1028, it is preferable that recessed sections such as cutouts aresmall (or there are no recessed sections) on the upper surface of theholder, from the viewpoint of holding force (flatness correction force)of substrate P by substrate holder 1028. However, if the cutouts aremade smaller, the holding pads need to be downsized accordingly, whichmay causes the risk that the adsorption force of substrate P decreases.In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 71, a holding pad 4084of substrate carry-in bearer device 4082 is made thinner and also anycutouts (recessed sections) are not formed at a substrate holder (notillustrated). Holing pad 4084 is made larger than that in the thirdembodiment described above and the adsorption force of substrate P isimproved.

Further, substrate carry-in bearer device 4082 has a guide mechanism4098 that is capable of finely moving holding pad 4084 only in theY-axis direction and the θz direction. The exploded view of substratecarry-in bearer device 4082 is illustrated in FIG. 72, and the conceptview of guide mechanism 4098 is illustrated in FIG. 73. A joint 4082 fis connected to holding pad 4084. Holding pad 4084 is fixed to anoscillation block 4082 e with a trapezoidal shape in planar view (viewedfrom the Z-axis direction) via bolts or the like. A rotating shaft 4082g protrudes from the upper surface and the lower surface of oscillationblock 4082 e. Holding pad 4084 is attached to a main body section 4086via rotating shaft 4082 g, a first fine movement guide 4082 b and asecond fine movement guide 4082 d. Fine movement guides 4082 b and 4082d include a parallel plate spring device stretched between main bodysection 4086 and a bearing block 4082 h. A θz position control guide4082 c is attached to main body section 4086. θz position control guide4082 c has a pair of plate springs and oscillation block 4082 e isinserted between the pair of plate springs. θz position control guide4082 c restores oscillation block 4082 e to a neutral position. Holdingpad 4084, main body section 4086 and the like are integrally driven byan X linear actuator 4082 a in the X-axis direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 73, in guide mechanism 4098, bearing block 4082 hthat supports rotating shaft 4082 g is finely movable relative to mainbody section 4086, by fine movement guides 4082 b and 4082 d, andholding pad 4084 is freely oscillated with respect to bearing block 4082h at a minute angle in the θz direction. The range where holding pad4084 can oscillate is defined by the pair of plate springs that θzposition control guide 4082 c has.

As illustrated in FIG. 74, at the time of pre-alignment operation ofsubstrate P, the respective main body sections 4086 of a pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 4082 are driven in directions oppositeto each other, in order to rotate substrate P in the θz direction. Onthis operation, guide mechanism 4098 (see FIG. 73) of the presentembodiment allows the positioning operations of substrate P to beperformed with the simple structure as well as the high rigidity andhigh accuracy.

In FIGS. 75a to 75c , the carry-in operations of substrate P related tothe seventh embodiment are shown. The carry-in operations of substrate Pare generally the same as those in the second embodiment describedabove. After substrate P is delivered from the substrate carry-in hand(not illustrated) to holding pads 4084 of substrate carry-in bearerdevices 4082 in a space above substrate holder 1028, substrate P andholding pads 4084 descend, and substrate P is supported in a noncontactmanner by substrate holder 1028 via a minute gap. In the present seventhembodiment, any recessed sections for housing holdings 4084 are notformed on the upper surface of substrate holder 1028, and the thicknessof holding pad 4084 is set thinner than a spacing between the lowersurface of substrate P and the upper surface of substrate holder 1028.

In this state, the pre-alignment operation of substrate P is performedby independently driving the pair of holding pads 4084 in the X-axisdirection, as illustrated in FIG. 75a . Subsequently, as illustrated inFIG. 75b , substrate holder 1028 causes the vacuum suction force to acton substrate P in the order from the +X side toward the −X side (towardthe −X direction). When the holding by adsorption of the most part ofsubstrate P has been completed, the pair of holding pads 4084 that havereleased the holding by adsorption of substrate P are driven toward the−X direction and withdrawn (pulled out) from below substrate P, asillustrated in FIG. 75c . Note that atmosphere at high pressure may bejetted from adsorption pads 4084 and thereby the contact with substrateP may be reduced, i.e., the frictional force may be reduced. Thereafter,substrate holder 1028 adsorbs and holds the entirety of substrate P,though not illustrated.

According to substrate carry-in bearer devices 4082 of the presentseventh embodiment, while the holding force of substrate P ismaintained, the flatness degree of substrate holder 1028 is notdeteriorated. Further, the rigidity in the operation direction at thetime of pre-alignment operation is improved, and thereby thepre-alignment accuracy can be improved. Substrate carry-in bearerdevices 4082 of the present seventh embodiment described so far may beapplied to the fourth embodiment described above.

Eighth Embodiment

Next, an eighth embodiment will be described using FIGS. 76 to 77C. Inthe present eighth embodiment, in a liquid crystal exposure apparatushaving a substrate stage device with a configuration similar tosubstrate stage device 1020 (see the drawings such as FIG. 27) relatedto the third embodiment described above, the configuration and theoperations of a substrate exchange device are different from those inthe third embodiment described above. In the description below of thepresent eighth embodiment, elements that have the similar configurationsand functions to those in the third embodiment described above will beprovided with the same reference signs as those in the third embodimentdescribed above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

A substrate stage device 5020 has substrate carry-out bearer devices5082 a in the vicinity of both corners on the +X side of substrateholder 1028, and substrate carry-in bearer devices 5082 b in thevicinity of both corners on the −X side of substrate holder 1028. Theconfigurations of bearer devices 5082 a and 5082 b are generally thesame as those of substrate carry-in bearer devices 4082 (see thedrawings such as FIG. 71) related to the seventh embodiment describedabove. That is, bearer devices 5082 a and 5082 b each have holding pad4084 of thin type (see the drawings such as FIG. 71) that is movablewith a predetermined stroke in the X-axis direction. Therefore, anyrecessed sections for pad housing are not formed at the upper surface ofsubstrate holder 1028. The stroke of substrate carry-out bearer device5082 a in the X-axis direction is set longer than that of the thirdembodiment described above. Bearer devices 5082 a and 5082 b may beattached to substrate table 1024 or may be attached to a coarse movementstage (not illustrated).

Substrate stage device 5020 has a platform for carry-out 5030. Platformfor carry-out 5030 has a plurality (e.g. ten in the present embodiment)of balance beams 5032. The plurality of balance beams 5032 are connectedto the side surface on the +X side of substrate table 1024 via aplatform base 5038. Balance beams 5032 are members having the samefunctions as those of balance beams 1052 (see FIG. 28) in the thirdembodiment described above, except that their lengths are different fromthose of balance beams 1052. The Z-positions of the upper surfaces ofbalance beams 5032 are set to be substantially the same as (or slightlylower than) the Z-position of the upper surface of substrate holder1028. Further, the Z-positions of the upper surfaces of balance beams5032 are set to be substantially the same as the Z-positions of theupper surfaces of balance beams 1052 that beam unit 1050 (see FIG. 77a )has. Platform for carry-out 5030 may be attached to the side surface orthe lower surface of substrate holder 1028.

A plurality of illuminance sensors 5034, a reference index 5036, areference illuminance meter (not illustrated) and the like (hereinafter,referred to as sensors) are attached onto platform base 5038. TheZ-positions of the upper surfaces of the sensors are set lower than theZ-positions of the upper surfaces of balance beams 5032. Platform forcarry-out 5030 including the plurality of balance beams 5032 and thesensors are moved integrally with substrate holder 1028 with a longstroke within the XY plane in the operations such as the scanningexposure operation. As illustrated in FIG. 77a , a bar mirror 5022 isattached to the side surface on the −X side of substrate table 1024, viaa mirror base 5024.

Next, the carry-out operations of substrate P in substrate stage device5020 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 77a , both cornervicinity parts on the +X side of substrate P that has been exposed aregripped (held) by substrate carry-out bearer devices 5082 a. Substratecarry-out bearer devices 5082 a move substrate P (causes substrate P tobe offset) toward the +X side relative to substrate holder 1028. In theoffset state, the +X side end vicinity part of substrate P protrudesfrom the end of substrate holder 1028 and this protruding portion issupported from below by the plurality of balance beams 5032. Sincebalance beams 5032 forma system integral with substrate holder 1028 asis described above, the offset operation of substrate P by substratecarry-out bearer devices 5082 a can be performed in parallel with anoperation in which substrate holder 1028 is moved toward a predeterminedsubstrate exchange position after the exposure operations are finished.On this operation, substrate carry-out hand 1072 of substrate carry-outdevice 1070 stands by at a lower position than balance beams 5032 sothat substrate carry-out hand 1072 and balance beams 5032 do not comeinto contact with each other, even if substrate stage device 5020becomes uncontrollable.

The present eighth embodiment is the same as the third embodimentdescribed above in that the +X side end vicinity part of substrate P isgripped (held) by substrate carry-out hand 1072 after substrate holder1028 is placed at the substrate exchange position (see FIG. 77b ), andin that substrate carry-out hand 1072 gripping substrate P is driventoward the +X direction, and thereby substrate P is carried out ontobeam unit 1050 (see FIG. 77c ), and therefore, the description thereofwill be omitted. Further, the carry-in operations of the substrate usingsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 5082 b are the same as those in theseventh embodiment described above, and therefore, the descriptionthereof will be omitted.

According to the eighth embodiment described so far, since the carry-outoperations of substrate P can be started before substrate holder 1028reaches the substrate exchange position, the substrate exchangeoperations can be performed swiftly. Further, the length of balancebeams 1052 that beam unit 1050 has and the stroke in the X-axisdirection of substrate carry-out hand 1072 of substrate carry-out device1070 can each be shortened.

Ninth Embodiment

Next, a ninth embodiment will be described using FIGS. 78 to 83. In thepresent ninth embodiment, in a liquid crystal exposure apparatus havinga substrate stage device with a configuration similar to that ofsubstrate stage device 5020 (see the drawings such as FIG. 76) relatedto the eighth embodiment described above, the configuration and theoperations of a substrate exchange device are different from those inthe eighth embodiment described above. In the description below of thepresent eighth embodiment, elements that have the similar configurationsand functions to those in the seventh embodiment described above will beprovided with the same reference signs as those in the seventhembodiment described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 78, a substrate stage device 6020 related to theninth embodiment is configured similarly to substrate stage device 5020(see the drawings such as FIG. 76) of the eighth embodiment describedabove, except for the placement and operations of substrate carry-inbearer devices 6082 b. Of a pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices6082 b, one substrate carry-in bearer device 6082 b is disposed on the+Y side of substrate holder 1028 and the other is disposed on the −Yside of substrate holder 1028. Substrate carry-in bearer devices 6082 bare similar to substrate carry-in bearer devices 4082 (see the drawingssuch as FIG. 71) related to the seventh embodiment described above, butis different from substrate carry-in bearer devices 4082 in that thestroke in the X-axis direction of holding pads 4084 of thin type is setlonger than that in the seventh embodiment described above. In thepresent embodiment, holding pads 4084 of substrate carry-in bearerdevices 6082 b are movable with a long stroke along the +Y side (or −Yside) end of substrate holder 1028. Further, holding pads 4084 are alsomovable with a predetermined stroke in the Y-axis direction.

The carry-in operations of substrate P related to the ninth embodimentwill be described below. As illustrated in FIG. 80, substrate P iscarried in by substrate carry-in device 1060 similar to that in thethird embodiment described above. As illustrated in FIGS. 79a and 81,substrate P placed on substrate carry-in hand 1062 of substrate carry-indevice 1060 is carried to a space above substrate holder 1028. On thisoperation, substrate P is offset toward the +X side relative tosubstrate holder 1028, which is different from the third embodimentdescribed above.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 81, the pair of substrate carry-inbearer devices 6082 b grip (hold) the −X side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P. Holding pads 4084 are located at a position (outsidesubstrate holder 1028) that does not overlap with substrate P within theXY plane, at the time of exposure operations and the like, and whengripping substrate P, one holding pad 4084 (on the +Y side) is driventoward the −Y direction and other holding pad 4084 (on the −Y side) isdriven toward the +Y direction, and thereby holding pads 4084 areinserted between substrate P and substrate holder 1028. After that, asillustrated in FIGS. 79b and 82, substrate carry-in hand 1062 is movedtoward the +X direction and withdrawn from a space above substrateholder 1028. In parallel with this withdrawal operation of substratecarry-in hand 1062, holding pads 4084 are driven downward along withsubstrate P descending due to the self-weight. Further, along with thedescending operation, holding pads 4084 are driven toward the −Xdirection (a direction reversed to the movement direction of substratecarry-in hand 1062 at the time of the withdrawal operation).

As illustrated in FIG. 83, on the −X side of substrate holder 1028, apair of edge sensors 6098 are disposed spaced apart in the Y-axisdirection (not illustrated in FIGS. 78 and 80 to 82). As illustrated inFIG. 79a , edge sensors 6098 are attached to mirror base 5024 via abracket 6096 with an L-like shape in side view. A target 6094 isdisposed below edge sensors 6098. Edge sensors 6098 detect the positionin the X-axis direction of the −X side end of substrate P insertedbetween edge sensors 6098 and target 6094, relative to substrate holder1028.

Holding pads 4084 perform the descending operation and the movingoperation toward the −X direction in parallel, and thereby, asillustrated in FIG. 79c , the −X side end vicinity part of substrate Pis inserted between edge sensors 6098 and target 6094. At this time,pressurized gas is jetted from substrate holder 1028 to the lowersurface of substrate P, and substrate P is levitated on substrate holder1028, which is the same as the third embodiment described above.

As illustrated in FIG. 83, holding pads 4084 are finely driven as neededin the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction on the basis of theoutputs of the pair of edge sensors 6098. Accordingly, the pre-alignmentoperation of substrate P is performed. After the pre-alignment operationis finished, the holding by adsorption of substrate P by substrateholder 1028 and the withdrawal operation of holding pads 4084 from belowsubstrate P are performed, as illustrated in FIG. 79d , which is similarto the seventh embodiment described above.

According to the ninth embodiment described so far, the stroke in theX-direction of substrate carry-in hand 1062 of substrate carry-in device1060 can be shortened. Further, holding pads 4084 and substrate carry-inhand 1062 are moved in directions opposite to each other, and therebythe separation between substrate P and substrate carry-in hand 1062 canbe performed swiftly, which allows the substrate exchange time in totalto be decreased. Further, since edge sensors 6098 and target 6094 can betogether installed at substrate stage device 6020, detection of theedges can be performed easily, for example, compared to the case ofinstalling only the edge sensors at device main body 18 (see FIG. 1).Furthermore, by the moving operations of holding pads 4084 toward the −Xdirection, the X side ends of substrate P can be detected by edgesensors 6098, which decreases the time required for the pre-alignmentoperation of performing position adjustment of substrate P relative tosubstrate holder 1028.

Note that, although two points of the end in one direction (on the −Xside in the present embodiment) of substrate P are detected by edgesensors 6098 in the present embodiment, this is not intended to belimiting, and as illustrated in FIG. 84, the detection of ends onthree-directions (the +Y direction, the −Y direction and the −Xdirection) sides may be performed using respective pairs of edge sensors6098. Note that in the case where a reference side is on the +X side,substrate P should be rotated at a 180 degree angle around the Z-axisand carried into substrate holder 1028.

Note that the configurations of the liquid exposure apparatuses, thesubstrate stage devices and the substrate exchange devices related tothe first embodiment to the ninth embodiment described so far areexamples, and can be changed as needed. Modified examples will bedescribed below.

A first modified example as shown in FIGS. 85a and 85b provides anembodiment in which the pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 bare fixed, in a suspended state, to upper mount section 18 a ofapparatus main body 18 in the fourth embodiment described above. Holdingpads 1084 b of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b are movable inthe Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction (or the Z-axis direction,the X-axis direction, and the Y-axis direction). The structure ofsubstrate carry-in bearer device 1082 b may use direct-operatedactuators similar to those in the fourth embodiment described above, ormay use a publicly known parallel link mechanism as disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,681. In this case, recessed sections(cutouts) for housing holdings pads 1084 b need not be formed atnoncontact holder 32.

A second modified example as shown in FIGS. 86a and 86b provides anembodiment in which holding pads 10044 usable as holding pads 1084 b(see FIG. 29b ) of substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b and also asadsorption pads 44 (see FIG. 3) of substrate carrier 40 in the fourthembodiment described above are attached to substrate carrier 40.Holdings pads 10044 are movable in the Z-axis direction and the X-axisdirection (or the Z-axis direction, the X-axis direction, and the Y-axisdirection) relative to the main body section (the frame-like member) ofsubstrate carrier 40. In this case, the delivery operations of substrateP between the holding pads as in the fourth embodiment described aboveare not necessary. A sensor (an interferometer or an encoder) to measurethe position of substrate P is attached to substrate carrier 40, andtherefore, in the case where pad members for substrate carry-in alsoserve as pad members for substrate holding as in the present modifiedexample, it is necessary to prevent holding pads 10044 from shiftingrelative to the main body section of substrate carrier 40, after theattitude adjustment of substrate P. As an example, as illustrated inFIGS. 87c and 87d , adsorption pads 1046 should be attached to substratecarrier 40, and the relative movement of holding pads 10044 with respectto substrate carrier 40 should be restricted by adsorbing and holdingthe back surface of holdings pads 10044 by holding pads 1046, aftersubstrate P is delivered to noncontact holder 32. As a method ofrestricting the relative movement between adsorption pads 10046 and themain body section of substrate carrier 40, adsorption pads 10046 and themain body section of substrate carrier 40 may be mechanically locked(e.g., the adsorption pads and substrate carrier 40 may be coupled).After substrate P is supported in a noncontact manner by noncontactholder 32, adsorption pads 10046 that drives substrate P and substratecarrier 40 may be electrically locked. As a method of electricallylocking them, a driving force (electric power) for driving adsorptionpads 10046 in a vertical direction may be OFF, to prevent the relativedriving of adsorption pads 10046 with respect to substrate carrier 40.As another method of electrically locking them, the position control maybe performed to prevent adsorption pads 10046 from shifting with respectto substrate carrier 40, thereby controlling the relative positionalrelationship between them not to be changed. A measurement system thatmeasures the relative positional relationship between substrate carrier40 and the holding pads may be further provided. Although such ameasurement system may restrict the relative movement between holdingspads 10044 and substrate carrier 40, the measurement system is a systemfor monitoring whether or not the relative positional relationshipbetween them is maintained within a predetermined range. The measurementby the measurement system may be performed intermittently, or may beperformed at each predetermined time.

A third modified example as shown in FIGS. 88a and 88b provides anembodiment in which the substrate stage device does not have elementscorresponding to substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b (see FIG. 49)in the fourth embodiment described above. In the present modifiedexample, substrate carrier 40 as a whole is vertically moved by aplurality of lifters 10048 attached to coarse movement stage 24, therebyto receive substrate P that stands by in a space above noncontact holder32 from substrate carry-in hand 1062, and descend. Therefore, substratecarrier 40 has, for example, a shape without a frame member on the +Xside (a U-like shape in planar view) to prevent substrate carrier 40from interfering with substrate P that is carried in. Note that lifters10048 may be finely movable in the XY directions, or one lifter 10048may adsorb and fix the back surface of substrate carrier 40 and capableof rotating substrate carrier 40 around the Z-axis. In this case, roughalignment of substrate P relative to substrate carrier 40 can beperformed. In the present modified example, linear motors (voice coilmotors) for finely driving substrate carrier 40 are disposed so thatstators and movers can be separated in the Z-direction, as illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2, and therefore substrate carrier 40 can be easilyseparated from or linked with coarse movement stage 24 and the like.Note that in the present modified example, the frame member on the +Xside is not provided, and therefore, of the linear motors for finelydriving substrate carrier 40, a pair of X linear motors are disposedspaced apart in the Y-axis direction and one Y linear motor is disposedin the center part in the Y-axis direction, which are each disposed onthe −Y side of substrate carrier 40, and the fine rotation controlaround the Z-axis of substrate carrier 40 can also be performed.Further, similarly to the modified example as shown in FIG. 13a ,substrate carrier 40 is placed on air levitation units 238 attached tosubstrate table 30 that is vibrationally (physically) separated fromcoarse movement stage 24.

A fourth modified example as shown in FIGS. 89a to 89c provides anembodiment in which the configuration of a substrate stage device 10050is different from that in the fourth embodiment described above.Substrate stage device 10050 is similar to the fourth embodimentdescribed above in that a member (a substrate carrier 10052) that holdssubstrate P and noncontact holder 32 are separated, but is differentfrom the fourth embodiment described above in that substrate carrier10052 and noncontact holder 32 are both movable with a long strokewithin the XY plane and substrate carrier 10052 is finely movablerelative to noncontact holder 32. Substrate carrier 10052 has a holdingpad 10054 that is formed into a bar-like shape extending in the Y-axisdirection and adsorbs and holds the −X side end vicinity part ofsubstrate P from below. Substrate carrier 10052 is placed in anoncontact manner on air levitation unit 238 attached to substrate table30, and is finely movable relative to noncontact holder 32 in thedirections of three degrees of freedom within the horizontal plane. Apair of openings spaced apart in the Y-axis direction are formed at theholding surface of holding pad 10054, and holding pads 10056 are housedin the openings. Holdings pads 10056 are apart of a bearer device forsubstrate carry-in 10058, and are driven at least in the Z-axisdirection relative to the main body section (the bar-like member) ofsubstrate carrier 10052. In the present modified example, as illustratedin FIG. 89b , when substrate carry-in hand 1062 carries substrate P to aspace above noncontact holder 32, holding pads 10056 are driven upward,and adsorb and hold the −X side end vicinity part of substrate P. Thepresent fourth modified example is the same as the fourth embodimentdescribed above in that substrate carry-in hand 1062 is then withdrawntoward the +X direction, and in that adsorption pads 10056 are drivendownward along with the falling operation of substrate P due to theself-weight, as illustrated in FIG. 89c . At this time, the uppersurfaces of holding pads for carry-in 10056 are positioned to be lowerin position than the upper surface of holding pad 10054 for adsorbingand holding (so that holding pads 10056 are separated from substrate P).

A fifth modified example as shown in FIGS. 90a and 90b provides anembodiment in which the configuration of a substrate stage device 10060is different from that in the fourth embodiment described above. Whilesubstrate carrier 40 (see FIG. 49) of the fourth embodiment describedabove is a frame-like member with a rectangular shape in planar view, asubstrate carrier 10062 of the present modified example is a bar-likemember extending in the Y-axis direction, and adsorbs and holds thecenter part (one point) on the −X side of substrate P. Substrate carrier10060 is placed in a noncontact manner on air levitation unit 238attached to substrate table 30, and is finely movable relative tononcontact holder 32 in the directions of three degrees of freedomwithin the horizontal plane. Substrate carrier 10060 has a plurality ofencoder heads 10068 and movement amount information relative to coarsemovement stage 24 is obtained by an encoder system that uses a scale10070 attached to coarse movement stage 24. Further, coarse movementstage 24 also has a plurality of encoder heads 10072 and movement amountinformation relative to apparatus main body 18 is obtained by an encodersystem using a scale 10074 attached to apparatus main body 18. In thismanner, in substrate stage device 10060 of the present modified example,position information of substrate carrier 10060 (substrate P) isobtained by the encoder systems in two steps, via coarse movement stage24, with apparatus main body 18 serving as a reference. A pair ofsubstrate carry-in bearer devices 10064 spaced apart in the Y-axisdirection are attached to substrate table 30. Substrate carry-in bearerdevices 10064 have holding pads 10066 that are movable relative tononcontact holder 32 at least in the Z-axis direction. The carry-inoperations of substrate P using holding pads 10066 are the same as thosein the fourth embodiment described above.

A sixth modified example as shown in FIGS. 91, 102 a and 102 b providesan embodiment in which bearer devices for substrate carry-in 10072 aredisposed in a substrate stage device 10070 of a type disclosed in theU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0053092. Substrate stagedevice 10070 is the same as the substrate stage device of the fourthembodiment described above in that substrate P is held by a substrateholding frame 10076 that is a frame-shaped member, but is different fromthe fourth embodiment described above in that the positions within thehorizontal plane of members (air levitation units 10078 a andfixed-point stages 10078 b) that support substrate P from below arefixed. A total of six bearer devices for substrate carry-in 10072 aredisposed in FIG. 91, but substrate P is not placed on fixed-point stages10078 b at the time of substrate exchange in substrate stage device10070, and therefore a plurality of bearer devices for substratecarry-in 10072 can be disposed at arbitrary positions below substrate P.Bearer devices for substrate carry-in 10072 have holding pads 10074 thatare movable at least in the Z-axis direction, which is the same as eachof the embodiments and the modified examples described above. Further,holding pad 10074 capable of facing the center part of substrate P ismovable also in a direction around the Z-axis. Accordingly, rotationcorrection (rough alignment) of substrate P can be performed using theholding pad 10074. The present sixth modified example is the same as thefourth modified example described above in that holdings pads 10074descend and deliver substrate P to holding pads 10079 of substrateholding frame 10076, and in that holding pads 10074 are driven downwardto a lower position than holding pads 10079 after this deliveryoperation. Substrate holding frame 10076 does not have to be equippedwith holdings pads 10079 for holding substrate P, as is disclosed inU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0053092. Substrate holdingframe 10076 may hold substrate P by a pressing member attached via acompression coil spring.

A seventh modified example as shown in FIGS. 92a and 92b provides anembodiment in which a withdrawal direction of substrate carry-in hand1062 after delivering substrate P to bearer devices for substratecarry-in 1082 b is different from that in the fifth embodiment describedabove. As is described above, in the third embodiment and the fourthembodiment, substrate carry-in hand 1062 is withdrawn toward a directionopposed to substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b. In the presentseventh modified example, a pair of substrate carry-in bearer devices1082 b are disposed spaced apart in the X-axis direction, and adsorb andhold two points spaced apart in the X-axis direction of the +Y side endof substrate P, and therefore, similarly to the third embodiment and thefourth embodiment described above, substrate carry-in hand 1062 is movedtoward a direction opposed to substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b,i.e., toward the −Y side, thereby being withdrawn from below substrateP. In this case, since finger section 1062 a (see FIG. 30a ) on theutmost +Y side of substrate carry-hand 1062 supports substrate P frombelow until the withdrawn operation is finished, the hanging-down ofsubstrate P (in particular, the hanging-down of the corner on the −Yside and the −X side of substrate P) can be suppressed. Further,although finger sections 1062 a jet air to substrate P to supportsubstrate P in a noncontact manner, the air may be jetted in a normaldirection with respect to substrate P as the jetting direction, or theair may be jetted from an oblique direction with respect to P in orderto increase an area to which the air is jetted of substrate P.

An eighth modified example as shown in FIGS. 93a and 93b provides anembodiment in which a substrate stage device 10080 has a platform forcarry-out 10082 similar to the eighth embodiment described above andfurther platform for carry-out 10082 also has a substrate carry-out hand10084, in the fourth embodiment described above. Platform for carry-out10082 is connected to noncontact holder 32 and moved integrally withnoncontact holder 32 with a long stroke in the X-axis direction. Thelength of balance beam 10086 that platform for carry-out 10082 has isset to a length that is longer than that of balance beam 5032 (see FIG.76) of the eighth embodiment described above, and enough to support theentirety of substrate P from below. Platform for carry-out 10082 has adrive device 10088 for driving substrate carry-out hand 10084.Therefore, substrate stage device 10080 is capable of carrying outsubstrate P from substrate carrier 40 (noncontact holder 32) by onlyplatform for carry-out 10082. Consequently, the carry-out operation ofsubstrate P can be started before substrate stage device 10080 reachesthe substrate exchange position (during the movement). Further,substrate P can be carried out from substrate carrier 40 at highervelocity than the moving velocity of substrate stage device 10080 to thesubstrate exchange position.

A ninth modified example as shown in FIGS. 94a to 94c provides anembodiment in which holdings pads 1084 b that substrate carry-in bearerdevices 1082 b have are controlled irrespective of the descendingvelocity (or the acceleration) of substrate P, in the third embodimentdescribed above. As is described above, substrate P freely falls(actually, falls at the acceleration smaller than the gravityacceleration) onto substrate holder 1028, except for the portionsgripped by substrate carry-in bearer devices 1082 b (the side on whichthe collision force to substrate holder 1028 is buffered). In an exampleas shown in FIG. 94b , holding pads 1084 b are lowered after thedescending operation of the free end side of substrate P is started, andin an example as shown in FIG. 94c , holding pads 1084 b are loweredbefore the descending operation of the free end side of substrate P isstarted.

FIGS. 95 to 100 show modified examples (tenth to fifteenth modifiedexamples) of the fourth embodiment as shown in FIGS. 89a to 89c(noncontact holder 32 is not illustrated in FIGS. 95 to 100). While asubstrate carrier 10052A that a substrate stage device 10050A has asillustrated in FIG. 95 is formed into a bar-like shape extending in theY-axis direction similarly to the fourth modified examples, substratecarrier 10052A itself has a function of directly adsorbing and holdingsubstrate P. Then, holding pads for substrate carry-in 10056 areincorporated in substrate carrier 10052A, which is similar to the fourthmodified example described above. In a substrate stage device 10050B asillustrated in FIG. 96, a substrate carrier 10052B is formed into abar-like shape extending in the X-axis direction, and directly adsorbsand holds the −Y side end vicinity part of substrate P from below. Apair of holding pads for substrate carry-in 10056 are incorporated insubstrate carrier 10052B, which is the same as the modified example asshown in FIG. 95.

In a substrate stage device 10050C as illustrated in FIG. 97, substrateP is directly held by a substrate carrier 10052Ca that holds the −X sideend vicinity part of substrate P and a substrate carrier 10052Cb thatholds the +X side end vicinity part of substrate P. Substrate carriers10052Ca and 10052Cb are each formed into a bar-like shape extending inthe Y-axis direction. A pair of holding pads for substrate carry-in10056 are incorporated in substrate carrier 10052Ca disposed on the −Xside, which is the same as the modified example as shown in FIG. 95. Ina substrate stage device 10050D as illustrated in FIG. 98, substrate Pis directly held by a substrate carrier 10052D that is formed into aU-like shape in planar view. A pair of holding pads for substratecarry-in 10056 are incorporated in a part, extending in the Y-axisdirection along the −X side end of substrate P, of substrate carrier10052D, which is the same as the modified example as shown in FIG. 95.

In a substrate stage device 10050E as illustrated in FIG. 99, substrateP is directly held by a substrate carrier 10052E that is formed into anL-like shape in planar view. A stiffening brace 10054 is connected tosubstrate carrier 10052E, and this brace 10054 is housed in a grooveformed at substrate table 30 so that brace 10054 does not disturb therelative movement between substrate carrier 10052E and substrate table30. A pair of holding pads for substrate carry-in 10056 are incorporatedin a part, extending in the Y-axis direction along the −X side end ofsubstrate P, of substrate carrier 10052E, which is the same as themodified example as shown in FIG. 95. In substrate stage device 10050Fas illustrated in FIG. 100, a substrate carrier 10052F is formed into arectangular frame shape surrounding the outer periphery of substrate P,similarly to the fourth embodiment described above. However, differentlyfrom the fourth embodiment described above, substrate carrier 10052F ismovable together with substrate table 30 (a substrate holder that is notillustrated), with a predetermined long stroke within the horizontalplane, and also is finely drivable with respect to substrate table 30. Apair of holding pads for substrate carry-in 10056 are incorporated in apart, extending in the Y-axis direction along the −X side end ofsubstrate P, of substrate carrier 10052F, which is the same as themodified example as shown in FIG. 95.

FIG. 101 shows a substrate stage device 10060A of a modified example (asixteenth modified example) of the fifth modified example as shown inFIGS. 90a and 90b . Substrate carrier 10062 (see FIG. 90a ) holds the −Xside end vicinity part of substrate P in the fifth modified exampledescribed above, whereas substrate stage device 10060A of the presentmodified example has a substrate carrier 10164 that holds the +X sideend vicinity part of substrate P, along with substrate carrier 10062.Substrate carrier 10164 on the +X side has encoder heads for positionmeasurement 10068, which is the same as substrate carrier 10062 on the−X side. Substrate stage device 10060A has holding pads for substratecarry-in 10066 that hold the −X side end vicinity part of substrate P,which is similar to the fifth modified example described above.

Further, a light source used in illumination system 12 and thewavelength of illumination light IL irradiated from the light source arenot particularly limited, and for example, may be ultraviolet light suchas an ArF excimer laser beam (with a wavelength of 193 nm) or a KrFexcimer laser beam (with a wavelength of 248 nm), or vacuum ultravioletlight such as an F₂ laser beam (with a wavelength of 157 nm).

Further, although in each of the embodiments described above, anunmagnification system is used as projection optical system 16, theprojection optical system is not limited thereto, and a reduction systemor a magnifying system may be used.

Further, the use of the exposure apparatus is not limited to theexposure apparatus used for liquid crystal display devices thattransfers a liquid crystal display device pattern onto a square-shapedglass plate, but can be widely applied also to, for example, an exposureapparatus for manufacturing organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panels, anexposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and anexposure apparatus for manufacturing thin-film magnetic heads,micromachines, DNA chips or the like. Further, each of the embodimentsdescribed above can also be applied to an exposure apparatus thattransfers a circuit pattern onto a glass substrate or a silicon wafer orthe like, not only when producing microdevices such as semiconductordevices, but also when producing a mask or a reticle used in an exposureapparatus such as an optical exposure apparatus, an EUV exposureapparatus, an X-ray exposure apparatus, or an electron beam exposureapparatus.

Further, an object serving as an exposure target is not limited to aglass plate, but may be other objects such as a wafer, a ceramicsubstrate, a film member, or a mask blank. Further, in the case wherethe exposure target object is a substrate for flat-panel display, thethickness of the substrate is not particularly limited, and for example,a film-like member (a sheet-like member that is flexible) is alsoincluded. Note that the exposure apparatus of the present embodiments isespecially effective in the case where a substrate whose one side ordiagonal line has a length of 500 mm or greater is the exposure targetobject.

Electronic devices such as liquid crystal display devices (orsemiconductor devices) are manufactured through the steps such as: astep in which the function/performance design of a device is performed;a step in which a mask (or a reticle) based on the design step ismanufactured; a step in which a glass substrate (or a wafer) ismanufactured; a lithography step in which a pattern of the mask (thereticle) is transferred onto the glass substrate with the exposureapparatus in each of the embodiments described above and the exposuremethod thereof; a development step in which the glass substrate that hasbeen exposed is developed; an etching step in which an exposed member ofthe other section than a section where resist remains is removed byetching; a resist removal step in which the resist that is no longernecessary when etching has been completed is removed; a device assemblystep; and an inspection step. In this case, in the lithography step, theexposure method described previously is implemented using the exposureapparatus in the embodiments described above and a device pattern isformed on the glass substrate, and therefore, the devices with a highintegration degree can be manufactured with high productivity.

Incidentally, a plurality of components of each of the embodimentsdescribed above can be combined as needed. Accordingly, a part of theplurality of components may not be used.

Incidentally, the disclosures of all the patent applicationPublications, the International Publications, the U.S. patentapplication Publications and the U.S. patents related to exposureapparatuses and the like that are cited in the embodiments describedabove are each incorporated herein by reference.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As is described so far, the object carrier device and the objectcarrying method of the present invention are suitable for carryingobjects. Further, the exposure apparatus and the exposure method of thepresent invention are suitable for exposing objects. Further, themanufacturing method of flat-panel displays of the present invention issuitable for production of flat-panel displays. Further, the devicemanufacturing method of the present invention is suitable for productionof microdevices.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   10 . . . liquid crystal exposure apparatus,-   20 . . . substrate stage device,-   22 . . . base frame,-   24 . . . coarse movement stage,-   26 . . . weight cancelling device,-   28 . . . X guide bar,-   32 . . . noncontact holder,-   34 . . . auxiliary tables,-   40 . . . substrate carrier,-   P . . . substrate.

1. A carrier device that carries an object to a support sectionconfigured to support the object in a noncontact manner, the devicecomprising: a first holding section that holds a part of the object at afirst position located above the support section; a drive section thatmoves downward the first holding section holding the object so that theobject is supported in a noncontact manner by the support section; and asecond holding section that holds the object supported in a noncontactmanner by the support section, after the object held by the firstholding section is moved by the drive section; wherein the drive sectionmoves the first holding section from the first position to a secondposition where the first holding section can deliver the object to thesecond holding section.
 2. The carrier device according to claim 1,wherein the first holding section is moved to a position lower than thesecond position by the drive section, and the first holding sectiondelivers the object to the second holding section.
 3. The carrier deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the second holding section holds an areaof the object that is different from an area of the object held by thefirst holding section.
 4. The carrier device according to claim 1,wherein the second holding section performs position adjustment of theobject delivered from the first holding section, with respect to thesupport section. 5-33. (canceled)
 34. The carrier device according toclaim 4, wherein in the position adjustment, the support sectionsupports the object in a noncontact manner by interposing gas betweenthe support section and the object.
 35. The carrier device according toclaim 1, wherein the first holding section performs position adjustmentof the object with respect to the support section, and delivers theobject to the second holding section.
 36. The carrier device accordingto claim 35, wherein in the position adjustment, the support sectionsupports the object in a noncontact manner by interposing gas betweenthe support section and the object.
 37. The carrier device according toclaim 1, wherein the first holding section delivers the object to thesecond holding section at the second position that is located higherthan the support section.
 38. The carrier device according to claim 1,further comprising: a drive system that moves the second holding sectionto the second position so that the second holding section receives theobject located at the second position from the first holding section.39. The carrier device according to claim 38, wherein the drive systemmoves the second holding section within a range that partly overlapswith a movable range of the first holding section.
 40. The carrierdevice according to claim 38, wherein the drive system relatively movesthe second holding section with respect to the support section.
 41. Thecarrier device according to claim 1, further comprising: a third holdingsection that holds another part of the object at the first positionlocated above the support section; and a drive device that moves thethird holding section from the first position along an intersectingdirection that intersects a vertical direction so that holding of theanother part of the object is released in a state where the object isheld by the first holding section and the third holding section at thefirst position, wherein when the third holding section is moved in theinteresting direction by the drive device and the holding of the anotherpart of the object is released, the drive section moves the firstholding section holding the object downward.
 42. The carrier deviceaccording to claim 41, wherein the third holding section holds theanother part of the object so that the another part can be levitated andheld, and the third holding section is moved in the intersectingdirection by the drive device so that the third holding section iswithdrawn from the another part of the object in a state where theanother part of the object is levitated and held.
 43. The carrier deviceaccording to claim 41, wherein the drive device moves the third holdingsection to the first position.
 44. The carrier device according to claim43, further comprising: a carry-out device that carries out anotherobject supported on the support section, wherein the drive devicewithdraws the third holding section from below the object, at leastpartly in parallel with an operation in which the carry-out devicecarries out the another object.
 45. The carrier device according toclaim 44, wherein the drive section moves downward the first holdingsection holding the part of the object, at least partly in parallel withthe operation in which the carry-out device carries out the anotherobject.
 46. The carrier device according to claim 44, furthercomprising: a fourth holding section that holds a part of the anotherobject, wherein the fourth holding section delivers the another objectto the carry-out device.
 47. The carrier device according to claim 46,wherein the support section has a first accommodating section thataccommodates the fourth holding section.
 48. The carrier deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the drive section moves the first holdingsection so that the object is not deformed by gas intervening betweenthe object and the support section.
 49. The carrier device according toclaim 1, wherein the support section has a supply hole that supplies gasfrom the support section to the object, and an amount of the gas betweenthe object held by the first holding section and the support section ischanged.
 50. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein thesupport section has a suction hole that suctions gas between the supportsection and the object, and an amount of the gas between the object heldby the first holding section and the support section is changed.
 51. Thecarrier device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first drivesection that moves the support section, wherein the first drive sectionis movable along a plane parallel to a surface of the support section,and the first holding section is movable along the plane in apredetermined positional relationship with the support section.
 52. Thecarrier device according to claim 51, wherein the drive section movesthe first holding section when the support section is moved by the firstdrive section.
 53. The carrier device according to claim 51, wherein thefirst drive section moves the support section from one of a position andanother position to the other of the position and the another position,in the position the object supported by the support section beingprocessed, and in the another position the object being supported by thesupport section.
 54. The carrier device according to claim 1, whereinthe support section has a second accommodating section that accommodatesthe first holding section.
 55. The carrier device according to claim 1,wherein the first holding section adsorbs and holds a part of theobject.
 56. The carrier device according to claim 1, wherein the firstholding section holds one end side of an outer periphery edge of theobject.
 57. An exposure apparatus, comprising: the carrier deviceaccording to claim 1; and a pattern forming device that forms apredetermined pattern on the object using an energy beam.
 58. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 57, wherein the object is asubstrate used in a flat-panel display.
 59. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 58, wherein at least a length of a side or a diagonalline of the substrate is 500 mm or greater.
 60. A manufacturing methodof a flat-panel display, comprising: exposing the object using theexposure apparatus according to claim 58; and developing the object thathas been exposed.
 61. A device manufacturing method, comprising:exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 57;and developing the object that has been exposed.
 62. A carrying methodof carrying an object to a support section for supporting the object ina noncontact manner, the method comprising: moving a first holdingsection that holds a part of the object at a first position locatedabove the support section so that the object is supported in anoncontact manner by the support section; and holding the object, thatis supported in a noncontact manner by the support section by themoving, with a second holding section, wherein in the moving, the objectis moved from the first position to a second position where the objectcan be delivered to the second holding section.
 63. An exposure method,comprising: carrying the object to the support section with the carryingmethod according to claim 62; and exposing the object that has beencarried to the support section.